Object number
2016/1
Title
The Thatcher,
Creator
Description
Engraving by Stanley Anderson; ‘The Thatcher’, 1944, an edition of 60. The thatcher is identified as Mr Arthur Ing of Long Crendon,
Unframed engraving by Stanley Anderson RA (1884-1966), titled ‘The Thatcher’. Produced in 1944, the print is an edition of 60. Signed in pencil “Ed: 60 Stanley Anderson”. The print shows a thatcher at work. The thatcher is identified as Mr Arthur Ing of Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire. Ing is thatching the roof of a gated, brick building. A number of agricultural hand tools can be seen in the print. Ing is holding a thatcher’s bat; a set of shears, a side rake and a paring tool are illustrated at top-left. Ing is wearing kneelers to protect his knees when kneeling on the ladder. Anderson’s monogram featuring the initials “SA” within a triangle is engraved within the plate. This engraving is part of Anderson’s ‘English Country Crafts’ series (1933-1953), for which he is best known. The series features workers and craftspeople of traditional farming and handiwork practices. After the outbreak of the Second World War, Anderson gave up his studio in London and went to live in the small village of Towersey, not far from Thame on the Eastern boundary of Oxfordshire. It was here that Anderson knew and befriended many of the subjects who appear in the ‘English Country Crafts’ series. Although acquired in 2016, the museum first exhibited a print of ‘The Thatcher’ in the 1958 exhibition ‘The Craftsmen and his Tools’. This was a different individual print from within the same edition of 60. At the time, it was borrowed directly from the artist. In the 1958 exhibition, Anderson’s engravings were displayed alongside a loan of agricultural hand tools from the R.A. Salaman collection. The print was purchased with the support of the Art Fund.
Physical description
1 unframed print, produced by line engraving. Paper and ink.
Archival history
Purchased at auction from Rosberys, London. Lot number 32 in the Modern & Contemporary Prints, Photography, Multiples & Editions sale held on 21st November 2015. The vendor’s parents are residents of the village of Towersey in Oxfordshire; they purchased the print directly from the artist. The print was purchased with the support of the Art Fund. Although acquired in 2016, the museum first exhibited a print of ‘The Thatcher’ in the 1958 exhibition ‘The Craftsmen and his Tools’. This was a different individual print from within the same edition of 60. At the time, it was borrowed directly from the artist. In the 1958 exhibition, Anderson’s engravings were displayed alongside a loan of agricultural hand tools from the R.A. Salaman collection.
Production place
Thame
Production date
1944 - 1944
Object name
Material
Technique
Dimensions
Associated subject
Associated person/institution
