Cloisters

John Frederick Greenwood

John Frederick Greenwood frequently searched out historical architectural throughout England’s countryside, in addition to major cities like London, in order to preserve the feats of builders past. In 1926 he was commissioned to create twenty-four wood engravings of Cambridge to be published by The Bodley Head Press, establishing Greenwood as a leading English regionalist in the world of fine art printmaking.

Here, Greenwood depicts the Norman arches of a school or other institution, alongside which stroll the people of the town beneath a sweeping, elegant tree. His keen sense of the power of contrasts make this a particularly intriguing image, with the large structure dwarfing the people along the sidewalk; the illuminated parasol and skirts of a woman against the shadowed hall beyond the arches; the rigid lines of the facade against the gently curving branches of the tree. In all, the image is simple, yet Greenwood’s mastery of composition and of his tools makes this a fine example of early 20th century printmaking.