John Baptist Jackson: 18th-Century Master of the Color Woodcut

The monograph reconstructs the life and artistic practice of a little-known eighteenth-century color woodcut artist, reassessing his technical innovations and place within the woodcut and chiaroscuro traditions. It surveys historical attitudes and criticism, contrasts competing approaches to the medium, and analyzes methods, workshop practice, and patronage. A substantial illustrated catalog documents the full corpus of chiaroscuro and polychrome prints, accompanied by commentary on individual works, inscriptions, and attributions, followed by a bibliography and indexes. The tone balances close visual analysis with archival research while acknowledging gaps in biographical evidence.