Joan Hassall

(Notting Hill. London 1906-1988 Malham, Yorkshire)

Harvest Mice, c. 1940s

woodcut

titled in pencil lower left ‘Harvest Mice’ and numbered and signed ‘2/25 Joan Hassall.’

image size: 9 x 6.5 cm.

sheet size: 15.6 x 11.8 cm.

in a period frame

Joan Hassall was the daughter of the illustrator John Hassall (1868-1948), known for his advertisements and poster designs. She attended the Royal Academy Schools from 1928-1933, and took wood engraving classes at the London Central School of Photo-engraving and Lithography in Fleet Street, where her teacher was R. John Beedham (1879-1975). It was to wood engraving that she would almost exclusively dedicate herself, though she was also a talented musician as well as artist – playing the spinet, organ, flute and viol. During WWII she took on a post as tutor of Book Illustration at Edinburgh College of Art.

Hassall designed the £1 postage stamp issued in commemoration of the Royal Silver Wedding of King George VI, and later the invitation for the coronation of Elizabeth II. She was a highly skilled wood engraver, whose work was revered for its finesse. As well as commercial commissions and book illustration, she produced bookplates, letterheads, Christmas and other cards, menus, transport booklets and illustrations for magazines.