The Bellringer's Wife
1934
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
engraving in black on wove paper
Dimensions
plate: 15.24 × 10.64 cm (6 × 4 3/16 in.) sheet: 22.07 × 17.46 cm (8 11/16 × 6 7/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Bequest of Frank B. Bristow)
Accession Number
2015.19.1090
Art Historical Context
**The Bellringer's Wife (1934) is a delicate engraving by British artist Robert Austin, capturing the quiet dignity of everyday life. Printed in black on wove paper, this intimate work measures just 6 × 4 3/16 inches on plate, inviting close viewing to appreciate its intricate details. Austin, a master engraver (1895–1973), often depicted working-class figures with empathy, reflecting the British printmaking revival of the interwar years—a time when artists championed craftsmanship amid economic hardship. Engraving, an intaglio technique, involves incising fine lines into a metal plate, which...
About the Artist
Robert Austin
Robert Sargent Austin RA PPRWS PPRE (1895–1973) was a preeminent British engraver, draughtsman, illustrator, and painter, born in Leicester, England, where his prodigious talent emerged early—at just eight years old, he exhibited with the Royal Drawing Society.) He trained first at the Leicester Municipal School of Art from 1909 to 1913, then at the Royal College of Art from 1914–1916 and 1919–192...