33. Sir Frank Short
(1857-1945)

Polperro from the Cliffs (Sketch)

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Polperro from the Cliffs

Polperro from the Cliffs (Sketch)

Etching, 1888, 297 x 354 mm., Hardie 220 proof. A fine impression with light plate tone on laid paper with full margins, signed in pencil. According to Hardie, only two or three impressions were pulled of the plate, so the work is of considerable rarity. Labeled a "sketch," it is an extensive and rather detailed view of the Cornish town, but the plate left unfinished. Despite that, Short’s ability to create a profound depth of field with the greatest economy of line, while also developing a flat geometrical pattern on the plate, is continually impressive. Many of his colleagues could do one or the other, but rarely both simultaneously.