Autumn c. 19th century

Robert Hoskin created this engraving, called Autumn, some time in the late 19th century. It's a melancholic image. The subject, a veiled woman, seems lost in thought. Birds fly above her head. The composition is bisected by elaborate stone friezes, ornament that evokes the art academies of the Victorian era. Hoskin worked in a printmaking tradition strongly influenced by academic painting. These institutions shaped the artistic practices of many artists. Printmaking served an important function as a method of mass communication in countries like Great Britain at this time. It was through reproducible prints that many people encountered art. This one, with its wistful symbolism and careful draftsmanship, shows how an artist could elevate the status of printmaking to the level of fine art. To fully understand this print, we might consult exhibition catalogues and other archival materials. These resources give us insight into the artistic institutions that gave shape to Robert Hoskin’s career. Approaching art in this way acknowledges that its meaning is always tied to a specific social and institutional context.