ford madox brown - eTheses Repository - University of Birmingham

translate his drawing into a carved woodblock ready for printing. 31 With little
documentation surrounding the production of the invitation it is difficult to gauge his
involvement with the wood engraving but it seems likely that this was his first
experience of drawing on the boxwood blocks used in the process. This early insight
must have been useful later on in his career when wood engraving dominated the
production of illustrations.
Although Brown was not happy with his first attempts at producing illustrations for
printing the Rossetti brothers were keen to promote him as an illustrator. In May
1853 Rossetti wrote to Brown to discuss the possibility of him producing an
illustration for another journal. Rossetti explained that he had met 'T'
who is connected with a magazine to be called The Artist, on which my
brother is engaged. … I met him casually to-day, and he told me that
Millais (who they had engaged if possible to do the etching for No. 1)
found himself prevented by other business, and he asked me whether I
thought you would undertake it. I understand they have plenty of tin to
begin with, and I suppose would of course pay well. We agreed that T.
had better call on you and come to some understanding, and he wanted me
to get you to name a day when he could call at Hampstead. If you let me
know I will let him know; at present I am ignorant of his precise address,
but write to you at once, as, in case you wish to do the etching. I suppose
the longer time you have the better - I believe (I fancy I have heard at
least) that the subject will be at your option, and they will afterwards get
31 In wood-engraving the design is drawn onto a boxwood block, by the artist, before being engraved.
Several blocks can be joined together to produce a larger surface (see cat. no. 70, p. 236).
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