The Shrimp Girl, from Old English Masters
1896; printed 1902
Medium
Wood engraving on chine paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 43.5 × 34.5 cm (17 3/16 × 13 5/8 in.)
Classification
wood engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
77288
Art Historical Context
**The Shrimp Girl**, a exquisite wood engraving by Timothy Cole his *Old English Masters* series captures the lively spirit of William Hogarth iconic 18th-century painting. Created in 1896 and printed in 1902 this reproduction depicts a young vendor balancing a basket of shrimp on her head amid London's bustling streets, her joyful expression radiating everyday vitality. Cole, a pioneering American engraver (1852–1931), specialized in translating oil paintings into intricate prints, bringing Old Masters like Hogarth to wider audiences through publications such as *Century Magazine*. Wood engr...
About the Artist
Timothy Cole
Timothy Cole (1852–1931) was one of the most celebrated wood engravers of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, renowned for his extraordinary ability to translate the tonal richness of Old Master paintings into the exacting medium of engraved wood. Born in London, England, Cole emigrated with his family to the United States in 1858. He began his career as a wood engraver in Chicago, but t...