From:Williamson Art Gallery and Museum

Name/TitleSt. John

About this objectRaymond Hawthorn (1917-1997) was a British wood engraver and printmaker. Born in Dorset in 1917, he studied art at the Coventry School of Art from 1935-9 and Hornsey School of Art from 1939-40. He was local to the Wirral, being a member of the Wirral Society of Arts and a teacher at the Laird School of Art. Throughout his career, he created collections of engravings to be used as illustrations in books, for example, Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, trans. Richard Aldington, 1962), The Life of Alexander the Great (trans. Aubrey de Sélincourt, 1970) and, The Rise and Fall of Athens (Ian Scott-Kilvert, 1967). His artistic process involved engraving woodblocks for prints as well as watercolour paintings. His work is complex, detailed and uses a monochrome palette. This design comes from a collection made for a Pelican Edition of Commentaries on the New Testament published in the late 20th century.

This watercolour depicts the events of the Gospel of St. John, which is a theological account of Jesus' life written to prove he is the Son of God by focusing on his seven 'signs' (miracles). In the gallery's collection is the woodblock and a woodblock print of this design.

MakerHawthorn, Raymond (1917-1997)

Maker Roleengraver

Period20th century

Medium and Materialswatercolour on paper

Style and Iconographyreligious

Inscription and Marks"Illustration to "St. John" (John Marsh) Pelican edition.
Top:"...what the disciples saw of the glory of the Word of God" - 1(/4); what they apprehended, as believers, when Jesus was risen from the dead -2(22)." Pages 59-60.
Centre: & Surround: The Historiographical Tools: (1) Typology - Page 56 - Christ prefigured by the sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb. (2) Symbolism - John's seven signs. Pages 58-59 and 65-66."

Techniquewatercolour

Measurementswatercolour height: 9cm,
watercolour width: 11cm
mount height: 24cm
mount width: 17cm

Subject and Association KeywordsChristianity

Subject and Association KeywordsSt John

Subject and Association Keywordsbread

Subject and Association Keywordsfish

Credit LinePresented by Mark R. Hammer, 2026

Object Typewatercolour

Object numberBIKGM.9377

Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved