Bullfinches colour woodcut by Allen William Seaby

Born in London in 1867, Allen Seaby was a painter, illustrator, colour woodcut artist and writer. He studied at Reading University’s School of Art where, from 1920-33, he was Professor of Fine Art. He illustrated and wrote a number of books during his career including: ‘Art in the Life of Mankind’, 1928-31, and ‘Colour Printing with Linoleum and Wood Blocks’, 1928. He also travelled widely in Scotland when he was working on the plates for a book on British birds, from 1910-13. Seaby was an influential exponent of the colour woodcut method with his subjects including birds, animals, and scenes from both the United Kingdom and Europe.