THOMAS BEWICK. 



What may be termed the minor works executed by Thomas Bewick from 

 1 79 1 to 1804 are neither of large number nor of great interest. The 

 engraver's mind and hands were so much occupied with preparations for the 

 Birds, and with the two new editions of the Quadrupeds, that he could 

 undertake only a very little more labour than these publications required.* 



The first to be mentioned are the figures of Quadrupeds in the periodical 

 published at Edinburgh called "The Bee." From 1791 until 1794 a 

 number of cuts appeared there which had been engraved with the highest 

 skill ; they are mostly copies from the illustrations in the Quadrupeds, but 

 from the perfection of the workmanship they may fairly be taken as Bewick's 

 own work. It is only in minute points that they differ from the engravings 

 undoubtedly by the master hand. In 1791 also commenced the publication 

 of the engravings of the heads of the Kings of England, which were used to 

 illustrate Goldsmith's Abridgement of the History of England. This work 

 was printed in many editions down to 1820. There were also a series of large 

 heads done by Bewick for Mozley's Gainsborough edition of the same work. 

 These heads are not by any means favourable specimens of Bewick's skill ; 

 they are in numerous instances ill-drawn, characterless, and loosely engraved. 



For many years various cuts appeared in the Northumberland news- 

 papers. Though not all executed by Bewick, they were in several instances 

 his work, while others were probably done in his shop under his superin- 

 tendence. In advertisements of coursing meetings a figure of a pointer 

 was employed ; for letting a residence, a house ; and for the notice of a 

 death, a coffin-lid grimly headed the lines. A figure of Fame — an angel 

 flying and sounding a trumpet — was used ; and a very well-executed Anchor 

 and Key formed the design employed by a hardware merchant. Others were 



* At this time Charlton Nesbit was an apprentice of Bewick's, he having joined in 1 789, when he was fourteen years 

 of age. Shortly after the expiration of his apprenticeship he executed a large engraving (15 by 12 inches) of 

 St. Nicholas, Newcastle, for which he received a medal from the Society of Arts. Many of his engravings were 

 from designs by Thurston : his work, though very careful, lacks the genius of the master, yet he was considered one 

 of the best of Bewick's pupils. His cuts for Northcote's Fables are amongst his best, and are reckoned by Chatto to 

 rank with the finer productions of the art of wood engraving of his time. He died November 11th, 1838. 



