John Anderson (engraver)
Encyclopedia
John Anderson was a Scottish wood engraver.
He was born in Scotland, and was well educated. He was a pupil of Thomas Bewick
. He cut (after drawings by J. Samuel) the blocks which illustrate ‘Grove Hill,’ a poem, very sumptuously issued by T. Bensley in 1799. This book, for the beauty of its cuts and the care with which they are printed, will bear comparison with Somervile's ‘Chase.’ The best work of Bewick is technically hardly better than that which Anderson shows in ‘Shakespeare's Walk’ in the book in question. His treatment of foliage is sometimes such as to remind one strongly of the cuts in Bloomfield's ‘Farmer's Boy,’ which the first edition of 1800 describes as ‘with ornaments engraved by Anderson.’ These cuts have been long erroneously ascribed to Bewick. Anderson also engraved illustrations to an edition of Junius. Redgrave says he formed ‘a style of his own and showed much ability, but did not long follow his profession. He went abroad on some speculation, and was lost sight of. He died early in the century.’ Historians of the wood-engraver's art should give to the author of such work as has been described a more important place than he has yet obtained.
He was born in Scotland, and was well educated. He was a pupil of Thomas Bewick
Thomas Bewick
Thomas Bewick was an English wood engraver and ornithologist.- Early life and apprenticeship :Bewick was born at Cherryburn House in the village of Mickley, in the parish of Ovingham, Northumberland, England, near Newcastle upon Tyne on 12 August 1753...
. He cut (after drawings by J. Samuel) the blocks which illustrate ‘Grove Hill,’ a poem, very sumptuously issued by T. Bensley in 1799. This book, for the beauty of its cuts and the care with which they are printed, will bear comparison with Somervile's ‘Chase.’ The best work of Bewick is technically hardly better than that which Anderson shows in ‘Shakespeare's Walk’ in the book in question. His treatment of foliage is sometimes such as to remind one strongly of the cuts in Bloomfield's ‘Farmer's Boy,’ which the first edition of 1800 describes as ‘with ornaments engraved by Anderson.’ These cuts have been long erroneously ascribed to Bewick. Anderson also engraved illustrations to an edition of Junius. Redgrave says he formed ‘a style of his own and showed much ability, but did not long follow his profession. He went abroad on some speculation, and was lost sight of. He died early in the century.’ Historians of the wood-engraver's art should give to the author of such work as has been described a more important place than he has yet obtained.