CHRISTMAS EVE 

John Leech made this illustration using wood engraving, a process by which an image is carved into the end grain of a block, leaving raised lines that take ink. The crisp black lines and detailed textures we see were achieved by specialist engravers, who transferred Leech’s original drawing onto the block. Different tools, like burins and gravers, were used to cut away the wood with precision. This was a highly skilled trade, and crucial for the mass production of images in the 19th century. Consider the amount of labor involved in creating just one illustration. From the artist’s initial concept to the engraver’s meticulous work, the final product depended on a whole chain of makers. Through wood engraving, ephemeral sketches could be transformed into durable, reproducible images, ready for a mass audience and the machinery of capitalism. This artwork reminds us that even seemingly simple images are the result of complex social and economic processes.