Eric Gill (1882-1940) was perhaps this century's greatest
engraver, working in stone, wood, typography and draughting. He is particularly celebrated
as a sculptor and printmaker. After studying decorative lettering at Chichester Technical
and Art School, he studied lettering at the Central School and began to experiment with
stone-cutting and masonry. He made his first wood engravings in 1906, and later made
engravings on zinc and copper. He is best known for his vivid and inventive wood
engravings of religious subjects. His engravings were very precise, reflecting his
admiration for medieval and Indian art. He illustrated over 130 books and made over a
thousand engravings; more than a hundred of his works are held by the Tate Gallery in
London.
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