The Donkey

A surreal, allegorical print from the 1930s where a lone donkey stands poised atop an outstretched hand, surrounded by airborne fish and dense, shadowy woodland. Rendered in intricate black-and-white linework, the scene lies between comic and serious 

Why We Picked It
Chadwick’s engraving stands out for its technical control and composition. The image is tightly constructed, with each element—flying fish, dense forest, central hand—carefully rendered and deliberately placed. The donkey’s posture and placement create a subtle tension, while the contrast between naturalistic textures and surreal forms keeps the scene just slightly off balance. It’s an image that invites close looking without forcing interpretation.

Notable Context
The print accompanied G.K. Chesterton’s poem The Donkey, which reimagines the oft-mocked animal as a symbol of redemption and dignity. The print's original title comes from the opening line—“When fishes flew and forests walked”— which signals a shift into the surreal and sacred. The work was exhibited by the Society of Artist Printers between 1936 and 1938, priced at two guineas, and shown at venues including the Royal Academy and Walker Art Gallery. It reflects the interwar British wood engraving revival, marked by a return to craft, narrative, and symbol within a modernist visual language.

About the Artist
Tom Chadwick was a British artist affiliated with the Grosvenor School of Modern Art, known for his wood engravings and linocuts. Though his career was tragically short—he died in 1942 during World War II—his work shows a remarkable clarity of vision. Chadwick’s prints balance precise technical skill with a strong literary sensibility, often drawing from poetry and folklore. His legacy endures through publications like Tom Chadwick and the Grosvenor School of Modern Art, which places him among Britain’s most poetic printmakers of the era.