This jewel-like book of pen, wash and watercolor sketches by British artist Anne Desmet (born 1964) evokes the unmistakable landscapes and cityscapes of Italy. Best known for her engravings, linocuts and mixed-media collages, Desmet is also a dedicated draftswoman. She found herself working and sketching in Italy for the first time at age 25, in Rome on a scholarship. In this volume, comprised of selected illustrations from four of the artist's sketchbooks, made over the course of many journeys to Italy over the past 25 years, the viewer experiences Desmet's pen committing every detail to...

The Ashmolean Museum houses one of the most extensive collections of wood engravings in the world. The collection effectively began with the gift in 1964, by Arthur Mitchell, of over 3,000 prints, including a large group of wood engravings. During the 1980s and 1990s, it expanded remarkably with acquisitions of large groups of prints, often as gifts from the artists, resulted in a succession of monographic exhibitions on some of the most important wood engravers. They included John Farleigh (1986), John Buckland Wright (1990), Clare Leighton (1992), Monica Poole (1993) and Anne Desmet (1998)....