“This small but exquisite engraving is a bookplate for the Lakeside Press Library, a testament to the era's appreciation for detailed craftsmanship and the quiet pursuit of knowledge within books.”
This bookplate, designed for the Lakeside Press Library, presents a meticulously engraved scene within a circular frame. At its center, a classical figure, possibly a muse or allegorical representation of knowledge, sits contemplatively, surrounded by books and a globe. The intricate details of the engraving, from the delicate folds of the figure's drapery to the subtle textures of the books, reveal the precision possible with this medium. It's an image that speaks directly to the purpose of a library: a place of quiet study and intellectual exploration. Created in 1933, the work reflects a period when fine printing and book arts were highly valued, and bespoke bookplates were a common, elegant way to mark ownership and celebrate the act of reading. The design itself, with its classical allusions and detailed execution, underscores a reverence for tradition and craftsmanship.
- Artist
- Stephen Gooden
- Date
- 1933
- Medium
- Engraving in black on ivory wove paper
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- Image: 7.5 × 7.5 cm (3 × 3 in.); Plate: 8.3 × 7.9 cm (3 5/16 × 3 1/8 in.); Sheet: 26.2 × 21.8 cm (10 3/8 × 8 5/8 in.)
- Collection
- Prints and Drawings
- Culture
- England
- Credit line
- Gift of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. Chicago
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The central figure's pensive expression.
The tiny globe at the figure's feet.
The detailed bindings and pages of the books.
The intricate border pattern framing the scene.
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Bookplate of the Lakeside Press Library — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Stephen Gooden
1892–1955 · United KingdomMaster engraver whose St George design for Windsor Castle became the George Medal worn by British heroes.
Further Works by Gooden
The Fables of Jean de la Fontaine: The Swan and the Cook
1929 · Cleveland Museum of Art
The Swan and the Cook
1929 · Cleveland Museum of Art
Illustration for "Peronnik the Fool": A Bill and a Wooden Block
1933 · Cleveland Museum of Art
Illustration for "Peronnik the Fool": A Gargoyle
1933 · Cleveland Museum of Art
Illustration for "Peronnik the Fool": A Lion Tearing at a Sack
1933 · Cleveland Museum of Art
Illustration for "Peronnik the Fool": Cock Key
1933 · Cleveland Museum of Art
Illustration for "Peronnik the Fool": Frontispiece
1933 · Cleveland Museum of Art
Illustration for "Peronnik the Fool": Peronnik the Fool
1933 · Cleveland Museum of Art
More works to explore
Beyond Gooden: works from the same years.
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray
Piet Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Nude
Ivan Puni · 1931 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
American Gothic
Okada Saburosuke · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Straße mit Passanten bei Nachtbeleuchtung
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1927 · Museum Frieder Burda
Same era · 1910s–1940s
The Indestructibles
Philip Evergood · 1946 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
In the Magic Mirror
Paul Klee · 1934 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
The Eye
René Magritte · 1932 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Untitled (Desert Landscape)
Salvador Dalí · 1934 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Garden Airplane-Trap
Max Ernst · 1935 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
The Red Armchair
Pablo Picasso · 1931 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1910s–1940s
Two Women on the Shore
Edvard Munch · 1935 · Munch Museum
Same era · 1910s–1940s
American Gothic
Grant Wood · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
