Norman Ackroyd (1938–2024) was widely regarded as one of the finest etchers of his generation. Born on 26 March 1938 in Leeds, Yorkshire, he began sketching at a young age and his early love for landscape was sparked by fishing trips to the Yorkshire Dales with his brother, where he became enthralled by the play of light on water.

Ackroyd studied art at Leeds College of Art (1956–61) and the Royal College of Art, London (1961–64), where he trained under Julian Trevelyan and rubbed shoulders with contemporaries such as Zandra Rhodes, David Hockney, and Mary Quant. Having toyed with the idea of the Pop art scene in America, he turned instead to British landscape, emerging as a master of etching and aquatint. Through these mediums he captured the raw, remote coastlines of the British Isles in the most atmospheric way. His prints mostly avoid human presence to convey a timeless sense of nature in its purest forms.

His work is held in prestigious collections globally: the Tate, British Museum, MoMA in New York, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, National Galleries across Canada, Norway, Scotland, South Africa, and many more. Ackroyd’s distinctions include being elected a Royal Academician in 1991, becoming Senior Fellow at the Royal College of Art in 2000, and receiving a CBE in 2007 for his services to engraving and printing.

He died in his home/studio in a converted warehouse in Bermondsey, London on 16 September 2024, aged 86, leaving behind a profound legacy of artistry, mentorship, and dedication to the craft of printmaking.