Hall Thorpe (John)

a fine example of the style cultivated by the Australian-born artist, John Hall Thorpe (1874-1947). He had learnt the art of the woodcut in Sydney before emigrating to England in 1902, where he continued his studies at the Heatherleys School of Art attended by members of the Grosvenor School, but only arrived at this highly decorative style around the end of the First World War, holding his first one man show in 1918. Promoted specifically to brighten up the home, Hall Thorpe’s simple and colourful prints, all individually hand-printed and signed, proved to be hugely successful in the inter-war years,

colour-printed woodcut, 225 x 290 mm. (9 x 11 1/2 in), signed in pencil, lower right, titled in pencil, lower left, in its original mount and with the original label stating ‘Woodcut in colours by Hall Thorpe for Home Decoration’ pasted on backboard,