Illustration for "Peronnik the Fool": A Gargoyle

Stephen Gooden's 1933 engraving captures a grotesque gargoyle from the Breton folk tale of Peronnik the Fool, demonstrating the refined technical mastery that earned him fellowship in the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers that same year. Working primarily on copper, Gooden was celebrated for his finely engraved, witty, and inventive designs—qualities perfectly suited to illustrating this medieval legend about a simple-minded hero who outsmarts supernatural creatures. The gargoyle, a guardian figure in the story, exemplifies Gooden's ability to render fantastic subjects with precise, controlled line work while maintaining a sense of dark whimsy. This piece was created during a particularly productive period in Gooden's career when he was illustrating fine editions for prestigious publishers like the Nonesuch Press, following his acclaimed work on the King James Bible (1924). The engraving showcases the artist's characteristic attention to texture and form, building up tonal values through painstaking cross-hatching and stippling—techniques that required extraordinary patience and skill in copper engraving.