May (The Long Man of Wilmington) - Eric Ravilious

A striking wood engraving by Eric Ravilious depicting the Long Man of Wilmington in a surreal, nocturnal Sussex setting.

This wood engraving by Eric Ravilious, titled May, forms part of his celebrated series for the Curwen Press Almanack. The composition depicts the Long Man of Wilmington, a hill figure located in the South Downs of East Sussex. Ravilious employs his characteristic method of wood engraving, utilising fine, rhythmic lines to construct form and texture within a monochromatic framework.

The image presents a surreal, nocturnal scene. The chalk figure of the Long Man stands against the hillside, flanked by a bull that appears to float or emerge from the upper right quadrant. Below, a dark, circular pool reflects the starry sky, creating a sense of quiet mystery. The surrounding foliage is rendered with precise, hatched marks, demonstrating the artist's technical control over the wood block. The contrast between the stark white of the figure and the deep black of the night sky creates a graphic tension typical of Ravilious's work during the 1930s.

Ravilious often drew inspiration from the English countryside, particularly the chalk hills of Sussex. His approach to these subjects avoids sentimentality, favouring a structured, almost architectural interpretation of the natural world. The inclusion of the bull and the celestial pool introduces a mythological or dreamlike quality, moving beyond simple topographical representation. This work reflects the artist's interest in the intersection of ancient history and the modern graphic aesthetic. The print remains a clear example of his ability to synthesise traditional printmaking techniques with a distinctively modern sensibility, capturing the atmosphere of the English Downs through a highly disciplined use of light and shadow.