Fable: The Envious Man and the Covetous n.d.

Thomas Bewick made this engraving, Fable: The Envious Man and the Covetous, sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. Bewick used a painstaking method: cutting into a block of end-grain wood, which allowed for very fine detail. See how he built up the image through many tiny marks, creating tone and texture? Note especially how the lines give form to the clouds and the figures' garments. Wood engraving, though laborious, was ideal for the printing press, as the block could be set alongside type. This made it perfect for mass-produced books and newspapers. Bewick elevated this practical technique to an art form. Here, he uses it to illustrate a fable about the pitfalls of greed. The labor-intensive process mirrors the moral of the story: true value comes not from envy or covetousness, but from honest work. By appreciating the craft involved, we can move beyond a simple reading of the image and consider its broader social and economic context.