Modern British Gallery offers a large selection of affordable oils, watercolours and limited edition prints by major British artists.

STONE, Reynolds

Reynolds Stone (1909-1979) was born at Eton in 1909 and read history at Magdalene College Cambridge. At the Cambridge University Press he began experimenting with engraving on metal and wood. He met Eric Gill on a train, who invited him to stay at Pigotts. He left after two weeks, having engraved an alphabet under Gill’s supervision, who felt that at this point he had nothing further to teach him. Among many commissions he engraved his first Royal bookplate for Elizabeth of York (the Queen Mother). In 1937 he engraved a Royal Coat of Arms for the coronation of King George VI. He began to cut letters in stone. During the Second World War he worked as an aerial photographic interpreter for the RAF, and continued to engrave. In 1953 they moved to The Old Rectory at Litton Cheney in Dorset, which was to be his home for the rest of his life. The garden and surrounding landscape proved to be a fertile source of inspiration for his painting and engraving. He designed the £5 (1962) and £10 notes (1964) which were in use until decimalisation. He cut many important memorials in stone and slate, including those for Winston Churchill, Ralph Vaughan Williams and T S Eliot. His magnum opus is perhaps the set of engravings, ‘The Old Rectory’, which was published in 1976 by Warren Editions. He died in 1979. He was awarded the CBE in 1953, and was made an RDI (Royal Designer for Industry) in 1956.

NOTE on the Tennyson Series

In 1974, Cambridge University Press published ‘The Poems of Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Reynolds Stone was commissioned to illustrate the volume with wood engravings. These wood engravings were not published as an edition, but simply used as facsimile reproductions in the anthology. This collection is the set of original wood engravings, printed on Japon paper, that were submitted to The Cambridge University. These are the original wood engravings, printed from the blocks, and I am not aware that another set exists. The provenance of this collection is The Cambridge University Press.

 

Artworks:

Lady of Shalott (Tennyson) SOLD

Wood engraving, printed from block. For publication on page 11 in The Cambridge University Press anthology ‘The Poems of Alfred, Lord Tennyson’, 1974. Please see

Tennyson SOLD

Wood engraving, printed from block. For publication on page vii of introduction in The Cambridge University Press anthology ‘The Poems of Alfred, Lord Tennyson’, 1974.

Locksley Hall (Tennyson) £35

Wood engraving, printed from block. Titled in artist’s hand to border. For publication on page 45 of The Cambridge University Press anthology ‘The Poems of

Revenge 1 (Tennyson) £35

Wood engraving, printed from block. Titled in artist’s hand to border. For publication on page 262 of The Cambridge University Press anthology ‘The Poems of

The Revenge 2 (Tennyson) SOLD

Wood engraving, printed from block. Annotated in artist’s hand to border. For publication on page 266 of The Cambridge University Press anthology ‘The Poems of

Wood Engraving 1 £85

Wood engraving, 1st edition 1977, printed in numbered edition of 100. Signed with initials. Printed on Zerkall mould made paper by Compton. Block measures 2.2″

Wood Engraving 2 £85

Wood engraving, 1st edition 1977, printed in numbered edition of 100. Signed with initials. Printed on Zerkall mould made paper by Compton. Block measures 2.2″