Woodblock for The Swallow, from A History of British Birds c. 1797

This is the woodblock for "The Swallow," a print from Thomas Bewick's "A History of British Birds". The detailed, engraved image of the bird was created by carving into a block of wood and used to transfer the image onto paper. Bewick’s work revived the art of wood engraving and revolutionized the use of the technique. His prints were highly detailed and realistic, representing a significant shift away from the previous practice of using woodcuts in book illustration.