John Baptist Jackson woodcuts
Some of the most impressive prints of the eighteenth century
are the set of chiaroscuro woodcuts from Venetian paintings by John Baptist
Jackson (c.1700-c.1770), issued in groups between 1739 and 1745.
Originally from London, Jackson was apprenticed to Jean
Michel Papillon in Paris before settling in Venice by 1731. Disillusioned with
the intricate engraving techniques then dominant, he determined to revive the
bold chiaroscuro woodcut style of the early Northern European masters. Between
1739 and 1745 he designed seventeen of these woodcuts, using two or three tints
to create a set of highly distinctive prints, of which we currently have the
following in stock, all framed and mounted:
The Holy Family and Four Saints, after Veronese
Dives and Lazarus, after Bassano (right plate)
The Death of St. Peter Martyr, after Titian
The Descent of the Holy Spirit, after Titian
refs: Richard T. Godfrey, Printmaking in Britain; Timothy Clayton, The English Print 1688-1802
refs: Richard T. Godfrey, Printmaking in Britain; Timothy Clayton, The English Print 1688-1802