“This detailed engraving invites you into a quiet, contemplative scene, illustrating a moment from "Peronnik the Fool." Observe the precise lines and delicate shading that bring this solitary figure and his vast landscape to life.”
A lone figure, Peronnik the Fool, stands at the center of this engraving, his back to us, gazing out at a vast, empty landscape. He carries a staff and a small pouch, his simple attire suggesting a journey or pilgrimage. The intricate lines and delicate shading create a sense of depth and atmosphere, drawing the eye across the barren hills and distant, stylized trees. The precise technique of engraving, with its sharp contrasts and fine details, gives the scene a timeless quality, almost like an ancient fable brought to life. Created in 1933, this illustration captures a moment of quiet contemplation and perhaps a hint of apprehension as Peronnik faces the unknown.
- Artist
- Stephen Gooden
- Date
- 1933
- Medium
- engraving
- Location
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Dimensions
- [object Object]
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The intricate patterns in Peronnik's clothing.
The subtle textures of the barren landscape.
The stylized, almost decorative trees in the distance.
The way light and shadow define the rolling hills.
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →Stand in front of it and listen
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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": Redemonde on the Staircase
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
