JOHN EDWARD UNDERDOWN HEWER English, 1889-1955 T' gaunt thorn (Wuthering Heights) Drypoint on paper Artwork depicting a stone farmhouse on the moors, with a gnarled, leafless thorn tree twisting up beside the open doorway. Two geese wander near the entrance, while a figure in a flat cap stands beside a low stone wall in the middle distance, looking out over the hills. The dense cross-hatching and dramatic sky rendering evoke the moorland setting associated with Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" (as referenced in the pencil-inscribed title). Pencil signed, numbered (10 of an edition of 75), and titled at base. Framed. Not examined out of frame. sight (as matted): 8.5 x 8.5 inches; frame: 16 x 15 inches $100-120
ARTIST PROFILE: John Edward Underdown Hewer (1889–1955), who signed his work "Jack Hewer," was an English etcher, designer, and commercial artist born in Gloucestershire. He spent much of his working life in Halifax, where he built a reputation for his skilled printmaking. Hewer is particularly noted for his series of etchings illustrating the novels of the Bronte sisters, work that reflected his sensitivity to literary atmosphere and regional landscape. Alongside his etching practice, he worked as a designer and commercial artist, applying his draughtsmanship across a range of graphic and decorative commissions throughout his career.
