John Barleycorn Artwork - Limited Edition of 33

“John Barleycorn” is part of a larger portfolio, “See What I Hear”, of illustrations based on song lyrics. The song “John Barleycorn Mus Die” by the band Traffic with songwriting credits going to Steve Windwood, is based on a 16th century English folksong. It is an allegorical tale of death and resurrection, The character, John Barleycorn, is the personification of barley and its part in making beer and whiskey. “They've ploughed, they've sown, they've harrowed him in / Threw clods upon his head … They've hired men with the scythes so sharp/To cut him off at the knee / They've rolled him and tied him by the way / Serving him most barbarously … They've hired men with the crab-tree sticks / To cut him skin from bone / And the miller he has served him worse than that / For he's ground him between two stones … And little Sir John and the nut-brown bowl / And he's brandy in the glass / And little Sir John and the nut-brown bowl / Proved the strongest man at last”. The tale, “John Barleycorn” was popularized in 1782 by Scottish poet Robert Burns, and can be read in the artwork by literally reading between the lines of the Steve Windwood version.

Digital:Digital on Paper

Artist Produced Limited Edition of:33

Size:16 W x 16 H x 0.1 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.