Skip to navigation | Skip to search
Sir Hugh Casson PRA, 'Elephant and Rhinoceros Pavilion, London Zoo'(detail), c.1971. © Royal Academy of Arts, London.
29 May—25 October 2009
In the Tennant Room
Robert Austin RA, Woman of Scanno, 1926. Engraving © Estate of the artist.This exhibition focuses on the prints produced by Robert Austin (1895-1973) in the 1920s and '30s, which were among the most admired and collectable of the period. Austin led a revival of the technique of pure engraving in the tradition of German masters of more than four centuries earlier, such as Martin Schongauer and Albrecht Dürer. He found inspiration in the everyday to craft timeless images of figures, landscapes, animals and still-life, imbued with a quiet perfection.
The display highlights the technical and artistic accomplishment of Austin’s prints, supplementing them with watercolours and drawings as well as posters, book illustrations and banknote designs that reflect the breadth of his artistic activity. It offers a rare opportunity to reappraise his place in twentieth-century British printmaking.
The Tennant Room is one of the John Madejski Fine Rooms
Opening times
1pm-4.30pm Tuesday to Friday
10am-6pm Saturday and Sunday
Closed Monday
Admission free
Free curator’s talk
Tuesday 4 August 2009
3pm in the Tennant Room
An introduction to the art of Robert Austin and the works on display.
All welcome. No booking necessary.
