The Shambles

Thomas Robert Macquoid

Wood-engraving by Swain, but printed using a photographic transfer

5 x 3½ x inches

Thomas and Katharine Macquoid, About Yorkshire, facing 33

This is an image from one of the married couple’s series of travelogues, combining written descriptions by Katharine, with illustrations by Thomas. The subject here is one of the main streets in York, 'The Shambles' - nominally a picturesque avenue but originally the place where cattle were butchered. The artist’s architectural training is evidenced by his combination of massing – suggesting the buildings’ volume – and small details of material and texture. More than journalistic, Macquoid’s scenes have an old-world atmosphere which amplifies the appeal of the otherwise everyday motif.

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