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Ideal Pastoral Life

1829
Not on view
Calvert, the oldest member of the Ancients, was arguably its finest printmaker. Masterful control of line, strong articulation of light and shade, and bold sense of design lend his tiny lithographs surprising power, drawing the viewer into intricate worlds. Calvert's unusual approach to lithography may have been inspired by Blake's method of relief etching, which combined additive and subtractive processes. After drawing his design on the stone with tushe, a greasy black ink, Calvert then scratched away passages using a needle, creating fine white lines that resemble wood engraving. Here, a womans tends a flock of sheep near a rustic fence as a man emerges from a wood, guiding a single sheep back towards the group.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Ideal Pastoral Life
  • Artist: Edward Calvert (British, Appledore, Devon 1799–1833 Hackney (London))
  • Date: 1829
  • Medium: Lithograph
  • Dimensions: image: 1 11/16 x 3 in. (4.3 x 7.6 cm)
    sheet: 2 11/16 x 5 1/4 in. (6.8 x 13.4 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1931
  • Object Number: 31.87.33
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

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The Flood, Edward Calvert British, Lithograph
The Flood
Edward Calvert
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The Chamber Idyll, Edward Calvert British, Wood engraving
The Chamber Idyll
Edward Calvert
1831
The Cyder Feast, Edward Calvert British, Wood engraving; third state of three
The Cyder Feast
Edward Calvert
1828
The Ploughman, Edward Calvert British, Wood engraving; third state of three
The Ploughman
Edward Calvert
1827
The Brook, Edward Calvert British, Wood engraving; third state of three
The Brook
Edward Calvert
1829

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