E is for Etchings 1997.89
Amongst our collection we have a great selection of etchings by various artists including 28 etchings by Cyril Henry Barraud. Before we look too closely at the artist and his work, we shall look at the process of etching.
What is Etching?
Etching is a way of drawing with chemistry rather than just ink or lead. It is a printmaking technique where an artist uses acid to ‘bite’ an image into a metal plate (usually copper, zinc, or steel). The artist coats a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant layer called a ground. Using a sharp needle or pointed tool, the artist draws their design or image onto the plate. They are just scratching away the soft wax to reveal the metal underneath. The plate is then submerged in a bath of acid. The acid ‘bites’ into the metal only where the wax was scratched away, creating grooves. The wax is cleaned off. Ink is spread over the plate and then wiped away from the surface, leaving ink only in the sunken, etched grooves. The plate is placed on a printing press with a piece of damp paper. Under high pressure, the paper is forced into the grooves to soak up the ink.
The Artist
Born in Surrey and trained at the Brighton School of Art, Cyril Henry Barraud (1877–1965) was a versatile British etcher and illustrator who famously assisted his uncle with the iconic “His Master’s Voice” painting. After emigrating to Canada in 1913, he became a foundational figure in the Winnipeg art community, notably mentoring the artist Walter J. Phillips and serving as a wounded veteran turned Official War Artist during the First World War. Upon returning to England in the early 1920s, the Royal Academy exhibitor balanced a career in fine art—specialising in atmospheric landscapes and cathedrals—with commercial success producing illustrations and railway carriage prints until his death.
The Etchings
Cyril H. Barraud created an unpublished folio of 28 etchings depicting scenes from the life of Sir Isaac Pitman (1813–1897), the inventor of the Phonographic shorthand system. Commissioned by Pitman’s grandson, Sir James, these mid-20th-century etchings illustrate key locations in Isaac Pitman’s life, including his training, early teaching, and printing work.
