‘Title page’, by John Sliegh

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Title page

John Sliegh

Coloured wood engraving by the Dalziel Brothers

6½ x 4½ inches

Sliegh, title page for Odes and Sonnets.

This glittering gilt design displays the artist’s calligraphic skills, presenting lettering which is boldly arranged in a series of oblong strips. [Commentary continues below.]

Scanned image and text by Simon Cooke. [Click on image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.]

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As so often in his art, Sliegh's tendency to overcrowd is disciplined by his use of geometrical simplification; these contraries mingle freely. This design must be one of the most impressive feats of printing using coloured blocks: as usual the Dalziels promote their skills to flamboyant and boastful excess.

Bibliography

Odes and Sonnets. London: Routledge, 1863. First published 1859.

Created 20 May 2020