The Inspector
c. 1941
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
wood engraving on wove paper
Dimensions
image: 22.23 × 13.97 cm (8 3/4 × 5 1/2 in.) sheet: 27.62 × 18.57 cm (10 7/8 × 7 5/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Bequest of Frank B. Bristow)
Accession Number
2015.19.1256
Art Historical Context
Paul Landacre's *The Inspector* (c. 1941) is a striking wood engraving on wove paper, measuring 22.23 × 13.97 cm. This intimate print exemplifies the meticulous craft of wood engraving, a technique where the artist carves fine lines into the end-grain of hardwood blocks to produce crisp, high-contrast images. Landacre, a master American printmaker (1893–1963), was celebrated for his precise, textured details that capture light, form, and texture with remarkable clarity—hallmarks of the medium's enduring appeal in the early 20th century. Created amid the uncertainties of World War II, the work...