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An image of Cat in cherry tree by Eileen Mayo

Eileen Mayo

(Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom 1906–1994)

Title
Cat in cherry tree
Year
(1947)
Media category
Print
Materials used
wood engraving, printed in black ink on thin ivory tissue
Edition
72/80
Dimensions

7.6 x 10.3cm blockmark; 13.8 x 19.1cm sheet

Signature & date
Signed l.r., pencil "Eileen Mayo". Not dated.
Credit
Purchased 1954
Accession number
9070
Copyright
© AGNSW
Location
Not on display
Further information

Eileen Mayo established a career as an artist and teacher in England before emigrating to Australia in 1953. She first made prints in 1928 with the encouragement of Claude Flight, producing wood engravings and linocuts as well as book illustrations and lithographs. She was a member of the Society of Wood Engravers, founded in England in 1920 by a group of artists including Gwen Raverat and Eric Gill, key figures in the resurgence of wood engraving in modern British art in the 1920s.

Mayo was a particular admirer of Gill, as much for his work as for his spiritual inclinations. Wood engraving complemented her meticulous approach and her inclination to work on a small scale. She lived in the countryside during the war, and her subjects reflected her environment and love of nature, as she made many drawings of animals and plants that were later developed into prints, such as 'Cat in cherry tree'.

from Anne Ryan, 'Australian etchings and engravings 1880s–1930s from the Gallery's collection', AGNSW, Sydney 2007

Bibliography (2)

Anne Ryan (Australia) (Author), Australian etchings and engravings 1880s–1930s from the Gallery's collection, Domain, 2007, 77 (colour illus.). cat.no. 116

Hendrik Kolenberg (Netherlands; Australia) (Author), Animals on paper - from the Australian collection of prints, drawings and watercolours, Sydney, 1992. cat.no. 48

Exhibition history (5)

Purchases and Acquisitions for 1954, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 10 Mar 1955–10 Apr 1955.

Animals on paper: from the Australian collection of prints, drawings and watercolours, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 05 Sep 1992–05 Oct 1992.

Animals on paper: from the Australian collection of prints, drawings and watercolours, Dubbo Regional Art Gallery, 18 Dec 1992–24 Jan 1993.

Animals on paper: from the Australian collection of prints, drawings and watercolours, Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery, 01 May 1993–30 May 1993.

Animals on paper: from the Australian collection of prints, drawings and watercolours, Grafton Regional Gallery, 11 Jun 1993–01 Aug 1993.