Brother Juniper from "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" by Thornton Wilder

Brother Juniper from "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" by Thornton Wilder — Clare Leighton. 1929.

Medium: wood engraving. Dimensions: Image: 12.2 x 7.7 cm (4 13/16 x 3 1/16 in.); Sheet: 19 x 12.8 cm (7 1/2 x 5 1/16 in.).

Collection record: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927) by Thornton Wilder tells the story of Brother Juniper, who, after witnessing the collapse of a bridge, tries to find the meaning behind the tragedy by investigating the lives of the people who died there. Clare Leighton made 16 wood engravings for a 1929 edition of the book. Most of them are character studies that combine expression, dress, and setting to communicate the character’s thoughts and feelings. They also demonstrate the development of Leighton’s distinctive style in the medium, including thick outlines, high contrasts, and modeling using white lines against the black background created by the uncut woodblock.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.