Prints and Drawings Room
View by appointment- Artist
- John Wells 1907–2000
- Medium
- Engraving on paper
- Dimensions
- Image: 140 × 115 mm
- Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Purchased 1985
- Reference
- P77130
Catalogue entry
John Wells born 1907
P77130 Topsail
1950
Engraving 140 x 115 (5 1/2 x 4 1/2) on wove paper 276 x 190 (10 7/8 x 7 1/2); plate-mark 146 x 121 (5 3/4 x 4 3/4); printed by the artist at Penzance School of Art and published by him; artist's proof aside from the edition of 25
Inscribed ‘John Wells. 1950' below image b.r., ‘AP' and ['81/2D' deleted] below image b.l. and ‘Topsail 1950' on back t.r.
Purchased from the artist (Grant-in-Aid) 1985
P77129
and P77130 each consist of a network of arcs and straight lines with occasional areas of shading in the interstices.
The artist wrote in a letter to the compiler dated 14 January 1988 that these works were titled after they were made and that they were abstract exercises in the techniques of line engraving. When asked if the network of fine lines related in any way to Barbara Hepworth's sculpture, the artist replied that they related more to the work of Naum Gabo, who lived in Cornwall from 1939 to 1946.
This and the entries on P77131
and P77132
have been approved by the artist.
Published in:
The Tate Gallery 1984-86: Illustrated Catalogue of Acquisitions Including Supplement to Catalogue of Acquisitions 1982-84, Tate Gallery, London 1988, p.470
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