Jonny Hannah – If I Was the Old Man of the Sea – Signed Limited Edition Woodcut 4/50 – Cakes & Ale Press – 2012

Description

A large and highly distinctive original woodcut by Jonny Hannah, entitled If I Was the Old Man of the Sea, dating from 2012.

The work measures 72 × 89.8 cm and was issued in a limited edition of only 50 impressions. This example is number 4/50, signed and dated 2012 by Jonny Hannah in pencil, with the Cakes & Ale Press imprint printed beneath the image.

The composition is dominated by a large tapering, almost flame- or teardrop-shaped form, printed in deep blue and warm pink against the pale sheet. Within this compact field Hannah combines hand-drawn lettering with a dense assemblage of fantastical maritime imagery: an old man in a hat, fish-like and bird-like forms, a mermaid figure, curling organic shapes and fragments of text woven directly through the design.

The title phrase:

“If I was the old man of the sea…”

appears within the upper section of the composition, while other fragments of lettering, including references to a “lonely mermaid”, become part of the image rather than functioning simply as captions.

The result is part sea-ballad, part folk tale and part imaginary maritime emblem.

The Old Man of the Sea

The title invokes the ancient literary and folkloric figure of the Old Man of the Sea, a character whose history stretches back to classical mythology and who has subsequently entered broader literary and popular culture as an archetype of the sea: ancient, elusive, knowing and sometimes threatening.

Hannah does not illustrate a single canonical version of that figure. Instead, he absorbs the phrase into his own world of maritime folklore, songs, sailors, mermaids and hand-lettered storytelling.

That distinction is important. This is not a literal mythological illustration but a contemporary artist’s reworking of a deeply familiar seafaring archetype.

Maritime Folklore and Ballad-Like Imagery

The composition has the visual and verbal character of a folk ballad or sailor’s tale.

The old man, mermaid imagery, hand-written phrases and fantastical creatures combine to suggest a story without fully explaining it. Hannah allows the viewer to piece the narrative together from fragments.

This open-ended storytelling is particularly effective in his maritime work. Rather than presenting a straightforward coastal scene, he uses the language of folk songs, chapbooks, tattoos, hand-painted signs and popular printed ephemera to create a world that feels simultaneously old and invented.

The phrase “the lonely mermaid” is especially evocative, adding a melancholy or romantic counterpoint to the more grotesque and comic figures around it.

Woodcut Technique

The work is an original colour woodcut.

The medium is especially well suited to the image. The broad carved forms, irregular edges and deliberately broken textures give the print a rough, physical quality that complements the folkloric subject.

The deep-blue passages retain visible relief-print texture, while the pink layer moves between lettering, figures and pattern. Slight irregularities of registration and ink density are characteristic of the handmade printing process and contribute to the individuality of the impression.

The scale of the sheet — almost 90 cm high — makes the carved marks particularly evident and gives the image considerable presence.

Typography and Composition

Typography is woven directly into the pictorial structure.

Words curve around figures, follow the contours of the image and overlap with creatures and decorative marks. Hannah’s characteristic hand lettering is therefore not merely descriptive; it becomes part of the rhythm and movement of the composition.

The restricted blue-and-pink palette gives the work strong graphic unity despite the density of visual information.

The tapering outline further concentrates the imagery, giving the whole design the appearance of a giant folk emblem, painted sign, tattoo flash or carved talisman enlarged to monumental scale.

Date and Edition

The work dates from 2012.

This example is:

4/50

from an edition of only 50 impressions.

The combination of the large format, small edition, early-numbered impression, signed and dated status and especially strong maritime subject makes this a substantial example of Hannah’s woodcut practice.

Artist

Jonny Hannah is a British illustrator, painter and printmaker whose work frequently draws upon maritime culture, folk art, popular music, hand lettering, old advertising and vernacular graphic traditions.

His sea-related works are particularly characteristic, often combining sailors, mermaids, songs, ships, strange creatures and the language of coastal folklore.

If I Was the Old Man of the Sea is a particularly concentrated example of that strand of his work, bringing together narrative, typography and maritime mythology in a large-scale relief print.

Condition

Very good to excellent condition overall.

The blue and pink printing remains strong, with good definition throughout the carved detail.

There is only light natural handling and paper irregularity visible, consistent with the scale and handmade nature of the work. Slight variations in ink coverage, texture and registration are intrinsic to the woodcut process rather than later defects.

The pencil signature, 2012 date and edition number 4/50 remain clear and legible.

Please study the photographs carefully as they form an integral part of the description.

Artist: Jonny Hannah
Title: If I Was the Old Man of the Sea
Date: 2012
Medium: Original colour woodcut
Edition: 4/50
Edition size: 50
Signed: Yes, in pencil
Dated: 2012
Size: 72 × 89.8 cm
Imprint: Cakes & Ale Press
Subject: Maritime folklore / Old Man of the Sea / mermaid imagery
Format: Original limited-edition artist’s woodcut
Unframed: Yes
Modern reproduction: No

Authenticity

This work has been handled, inspected and catalogued in-house at Hornseys before being offered for sale.

The pencil signature, date, edition number 4/50 and Cakes & Ale Press imprint are visible beneath the image.

It is an original signed and numbered Jonny Hannah woodcut from an edition of only 50, not a later reproduction.

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Explore our evolving collection of Jonny Hannah original paintings, signed and limited-edition prints, illustrated books and related artworks. His distinctive imagery, hand lettering and narrative style draw upon music, maritime culture, vintage advertising, folk art, popular entertainment and the visual character of British towns and seaside communities.

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