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The Scottish Bestiary : Nuckelavee

Publisher: Booth-Clibborn, Charles BevillePrinter: Cordiner, Stewart Buchan · b. 1949Printer: Peacock PrintmakersPrinter, master: Watson, Arthur, PPRSA RSA · b. 1951Artist: Knox, John [Jack], RSA RSW RGI DLitt · 1936-2015

The Scottish Bestiary : Nuckelavee

One of the 20 prints from 7 artists (Knox contributed a total of 3 images, vide also RSA 2020.0006 for ‘Whale’) commissioned by Charles…

One of the 20 prints from 7 artists (Knox contributed a total of 3 images, vide also RSA 2020.0006 for ‘Whale’) commissioned by Charles Booth-Clibborn for his 1986 publication A Scottish Bestiary, in an edition of 60 bound in book form accompanied by a series of texts written by George Mackay Brown, plus an additional 15 (numbered i-xv) for the artists and author, and an edition of 50 as a portfolio of loose prints, with 20 of these reserved for the artists. The bestiary was the first item to be published by the Paragon Press (founded by Booth-Clibborn in 1986) in 1986. The prints were made at Peacock printmakers in Aberdeen under the overall co-ordination of Arthur Watson. The Screenprints were printed by Arthur Watson and the Lithographs by Stewart Cordiner. (details taken from the Paragon Press website)

As originally conceived the portfolio edition was to run to just 30 and there were to be a total of 18 rather than 20 images (Peacock printmakers newsletter, Aug/Sept 1986, p.15 (see Exhib Cats PRINTMAKING, box file)

Nuckelavee translates as Sea Devil.

For a note on The Scottish Bestiary: Print Collectors' Newsletter Vol. XVIII,4, September 1987 p.134

The RSA Director, in an e-mail to RSA Documentation Officer of 2020-01-20 stated; “Jack Knox Nuckelavee and Whale – both from the Scottish Bestiary suite published by Paragon Press (Charles Booth Clibborn). I think that this print was made with Stewart Cordiner (Arthur will know). It was editioned at Peacock Printmakers, Aberdeen and will have been purchased from Peacock. There is a third litho by Jack from this suite ‘DOVE’. http://paragonpress.co.uk/artists/jack-knox-1/. The texts for the Bestiary are noted on the Paragon Press website too. the printer info is also noted in the Paragon Press publication from about 20 years ago.”

In a telephone conversation of 2020-02-21 Arthur J Watson PPRSA confirmed to RSA Documentation Officer that the black image was printed first from litho stone by Stewart Cordiner onto blank paper. The print was then passed, once dry, to Arthur to be overprinted with a specially mixed dark tan ink which had no white in it and a lot of extender, which made it transparent enough for the litho image to show through without itself becoming discoloured. The litho image would not have printed so crsiply or evenly had the process been reversed and the screenprinting had been done first followed by the litho as the overlay.

see notes above, the lithographic printing was undertaken by Stewart Cordiner and was done first

see notes above, the screenprinting was undertaken by Arthur J Watson and was done after the lithographic printing

© The Estate of the late John [Jack] Knox RSA