1827/1893. Wood engraving, 8.2 x 12.7cm. Slight foxing, old mount burn.

From an edition of 350, printed by Calvert’s son in 1893. Image held in the Art Gallery of NSW, the Tate and The Met, with the comment “In this richly detailed engraving, Calvert conjured an idealized medieval world. Made in the weeks immediately following Blake’s death, The Ploughman manifests Calvert’s affirmation of his own artistic vocation: the farmer who cuts furrows in the soil represents the engraver who incises lines in copper plates. This print’s full title, The Ploughman, or Christian Ploughing the Last Furrow of Life, alludes to Luke 9:62, ‘No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’ As he works, Calvert’s farmer sees a heavenly vision that affirms the value of his productive work.”  Ref  Item #CL202-5

Price (AUD): $3,950.00