Book illustration became a key aspect of John Nash’s practice in the 1920s and 30s. The illustrated book and private presses were experiencing a revival in Britain, and Nash’s ability and enthusiasm as a draughtsman and wood-engraver made him well-suited to commissions.

Nash provided celebrated illustrations for a limited edition of Spenser’s poem The Shepheardes Calender, which was published by The Cresset Press in 1930. The present work is a design for the headpiece for the month of November, with further studies surrounding.

It is an interesting working document, showing how Nash’s designs came to life. It also presents very well aesthetically, mounted in a way that balances the page and creates an attractive composition.

John Nash and his older brother Paul are perhaps now most famous for their work as official war artists in the First World War. While they were each appointed again in the Second World War (two of the only British artists commissioned in both conflicts), their large oil paintings of the first war were their most successful and became some of the most memorable images of the conflict.

It can be difficult not to call to mind major works like Oppy Wood and The Menin Road when looking at their later peacetime landscapes. It is also interesting to consider the emotional experience of their war work, coming before large bodies of post-war work. The Imperial War Museum’s Over the Top records the beginning of an attack that left 68 of the 80 men in John Nash’s unit dead or wounded – it is a remarkable work for a 24-year old in all respects and Nash did not manage to produce anything of the same quality in the Second World War.

Despite this connection to war art, John Nash was able to distinguish himself as a book illustrator, botanical artist and painter of landscapes, and enjoyed a highly successful wider career.

In 1967 he became the first living artist to be given a retrospective at the Royal Academy. His works are held by the IWM, Tate, Courtauld Institute and the Government Art Collection.
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Provenance:

The John Nash Estate (stamp verso)

Exhibited:

Colchester, The Minories, John Nash Book Designs, 1986