Jonny Hannah – Land Ahoy! – Signed Limited Edition Linocut 38/50 – Cakes & Ale Press – 2008

Description

A compact and highly characteristic original colour linocut by Jonny Hannah, entitled Land Ahoy!, dating from 2008.

The work measures 19.3 × 16 cm and was issued in a limited edition of only 50 impressions. This example is number 38/50, signed and dated 2008 by Jonny Hannah in pencil, with the Cakes & Ale Press imprint printed beneath the image.

The composition is deliberately simple and emphatic. A black rectangular field carries the large red words:

LAND
AHOY!

At the centre is a circular porthole-like motif outlined in ochre yellow and red, containing a stylised coastal skyline or harbour seen across a band of blue water.

The result has the compact visual force of a vintage shipping label, maritime sign or small hand-printed advertisement, reduced to a few strongly contrasting colours and an instantly legible message.

Maritime Imagery

The title “Land Ahoy!” is one of the most familiar expressions associated with seafaring: the cry announcing that land has been sighted after a period at sea.

Hannah turns that phrase into a piece of visual shorthand. Rather than depicting a ship or sailor directly, he focuses on the moment of sighting land itself, presenting a distant urban or harbour silhouette through a circular frame that strongly suggests a ship’s porthole.

The central image therefore reads almost as the sailor’s view: water below, buildings beyond and the long-awaited land ahead.

Coastal and Vernacular Graphic Culture

Maritime culture is a recurring strand in Hannah’s work, particularly the imagery of ports, sailors, ships, fish, lighthouses and coastal ephemera.

In Land Ahoy! those interests are compressed into an unusually concise design. The print has the appearance of something that might have originated as a small trade sign, luggage label, shipping advertisement or graphic device from an old maritime publication.

This quality is central to Hannah’s practice. Rather than imitating historic ephemera literally, he reworks its directness, limited colour and typographic boldness through contemporary printmaking.

Linocut Technique

This is an original colour linocut, not a screenprint or later reproduction.

The relief-printing process gives the black field a slightly textured surface, while the red lettering and ochre-blue central device retain the small irregularities of hand-cut and hand-printed work.

The palette is restricted to black, red, ochre yellow, blue and the natural pale ground, giving the image excellent clarity despite its small scale.

Slight variation in ink density and printed texture is intrinsic to the linocut process and contributes to the handmade character of the impression.

Compact Format

At just 19.3 × 16 cm, this is one of Hannah’s smaller-format prints.

The compact size suits the graphic directness of the composition extremely well. It has the feel of a miniature sign or label rather than a conventional pictorial print, and the strong black field and red lettering give it far more visual presence than its dimensions might suggest.

Date and Edition

The work dates from 2008.

This example is:

38/50

from an edition of only 50 impressions.

The pencil signature, 2008 date, edition number and Cakes & Ale Press imprint are all visible beneath the image.

Condition

Very good condition overall.

The black, red, ochre and blue printing remains strong, with good contrast and clarity throughout.

There is light natural handling and slight paper undulation visible, particularly towards the lower right-hand margin, consistent with the age and handmade nature of the work. Small variations in ink density are characteristic of the original linocut process.

The pencil signature, 2008 date and edition number 38/50 remain visible and legible.

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

Artist: Jonny Hannah
Title: Land Ahoy!
Date: 2008
Medium: Original colour linocut
Edition: 38/50
Edition size: 50
Signed: Yes, in pencil
Dated: 2008
Size: 19.3 × 16 cm
Imprint: Cakes & Ale Press
Subject: Maritime / coastal imagery / porthole / typography
Format: Original limited-edition artist’s linocut
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 38/50 and Cakes & Ale Press imprint are clearly visible beneath the image.

It is an original signed and numbered Jonny Hannah linocut 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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