Eric Gill (1882–1940) was a British artist. Gill's practice extended across sculpture, stone lettering, type design and wood engraving. His early work in architectural and lettering contexts helped establish a sustained interest in the relationship between a figure, its outline and the space around it. Christmas Gifts: Dawn brings that concern into a small printed image. The engraving uses a restricted range of means, so the placement of each dark mass and pale opening becomes central to its reading.
In Christmas Gifts: Dawn, the Nativity is held within an exceptionally compact design. The dark setting makes the small pale passages around the figures especially active. Look at the relationship between the outline of a body and the light beside it.
The selected pictures
Christmas Gifts: Dawn: Gill reduces the Nativity to strong black and white shapes within a timber shelter. Radiating lines, a simple border and the original Latin inscription give the print a direct graphic character.
A printed image asks the viewer to distinguish several kinds of mark. An outline establishes a boundary, closely gathered strokes create depth or shadow, and an open passage lets the paper remain part of the picture. Those differences can describe a material surface while also guiding attention through the whole composition. Begin with the main grouping, then follow one smaller passage into its surroundings. The connection between the two scales is often where a simple subject becomes a more complex image, with repeated lines and carefully spaced shapes contributing as much as the objects they describe.
Looking closely
Strong black-and-white shapes and a concentrated approach to the human figure.
Begin with the largest forms, then follow the smaller marks that connect them. In Christmas Gifts: Dawn, compare the subject with the space around it and the way light moves between them. Return to the complete picture after looking at a detail: its effect depends on the relationship of those parts, and the arrangement often reveals something different on a second visit.
Art to live with.
Fine-art prints on 200 gsm paper. Choose unframed or explore the available frame finishes, in a size that suits your space.
