Mark Fernand Severin was born in Brussels and came to England during WW1 to study in Oxford before finishing his education at Ghent University. He was virtually self-taught as an artist but later received technical instruction from Eric Gill, John Buckland-Wright and Eric Ravillious. Started as a magazine illustrator and later as a book illustrator for Private Presses including The Golden Cockerel Press and other publishers in Belgium, Holland and Germany. A prolific designer of book-plates especially using wood-engraving and copper engraving. He was also the author of books including: Making a Bookplate: (Studio 1949): Your Wood-Engraving:(Sylvan Press,1955) among others. Ref: Chambers.David. Mark Severin’s Book Illustrations. PLA 1980. Horne.Alan. The Dictionary of 20th.Century British Book Illustrators. 1994.