Paul Landacre
'Lot Cleaning, Los Angeles' — 1930s Modernism
1935

Name: 'Lot Cleaning, Los Angeles' — 1930s Modernism
Brand: Paul Landacre
Price: 4800 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

'Lot Cleaning, Los Angeles', wood engraving, edition 60, Zeitlin & Ver Brugge 69. Signed, titled and numbered '51/60' in pencil. A brilliant, black impression, on Kitakata Japan paper, with full margins (1 3/4 to 2 3/8 inches). Original brown paper hinge remains on the top sheet edge; soft crease in the top right margin, well away from the image, otherwise in excellent condition. Landacre red estate stamp on the bottom sheet edge; 'Origins of Art' stamp on the bottom right sheet corner, verso. Printed by the artist. Presented to the Paul Landacre Association. Included by the artist in a group of prints reserved for his wife which he considered among his best works. Awards: First Prize, Los Angeles County Fair, 1935; First Prize, Philadelphia Print Club, 1936. Literature: 'Paul Landacre: Prints and Drawings', Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1983. Exhibitions: 'Paul Landacre: Prints and Drawings', Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1983. Impressions of this print are in the permanent collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the University of Arizona Museum of Art. ABOUT THE ARTIST Paul Landacre’s renowned wood engravings are distinguished by their flawless craftsmanship and impeccable design. His elegant compositions, at once highly modernist and intimately personal, inspired both Rockwell Kent and Carl Zigrosser to name him the pre-eminent American wood engraver of the 20th century. His work garnered numerous printmaking awards—among them, his illustrated books of poems for Ward Ritchie and Alexander Dumas 'A Gil Blas in California', and his first solo book, 'California Hills and Other Wood Engravings', winner of the 'Fifty Books of the Year' (1931), American Institute of Graphic Arts. In 1946 he was elected to the National Academy of Design and in 1947 the Smithsonian celebrated Landacre at midcareer by giving him a solo exhibition which was curated by the influential painter, printmaker, and scholar Jacob Kainen. Landacre's work is represented in the collections of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Brooklyn Museum, Harvard Art Museums, Library of Congress, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles Public Library, Museum of Modern Art, Oakland Museum of California, New York Public Library, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Seattle Art Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among many other public collections.

Creator:

Paul Landacre (1893-1963, American)

Creation Year:

1935

Dimensions:

Height: 12.13 in (30.82 cm)Width: 6.07 in (15.42 cm)

Medium:

Woodcut

Movement & Style:

American Modern

Period:

1930-1939

Condition:

Gallery Location:

Myrtle Beach, SC

Reference Number:

Seller: 1017891stDibs: LU53233865502

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Paul Landacre

Paul Landacre was an illustrator who specialized in wood engravings of naturalistic images executed in a sparse, rhythmic, linear style. Born in Columbus, Ohio, he was an athlete as a youth. During his sophomore year at Ohio State University, he contracted a life-threatening illness that left him partially disabled. During this same year he also enrolled in a drawing class. After a long recuperation, Landacre moved with his family to California. In order to increase his physical strength he took long walks in the nearby rural areas, and on these walks, drew in his sketchbook. By 1918 he found a job as a commercial illustrator. In 1923 he enrolled at the Otis Art Institute, where he studied all types of media, including wood engraving. Landacre's artistic reputation began to emerge in the early 1930s with the publication of his book California Hills and other Wood Engravings and his first one-person exhibition in Los Angeles. He received many commissions for book illustrations; since he worked in a careful, deliberate manner, his large projects required years to complete. For thirty-one years the artist maintained a hand press in his home, allowing him to have total control over the printing of his designs. In 1939 he was made an associate of the National Academy of Design. The remainder of Landacre's professional career was balanced between teaching and illustrating books. Two examples from the National Gallery's permanent collection demonstrate the range of Landacre's work. His engraving, Smoke Tree, evokes the nearby desert scenery that the artist knew. The sharp, angular canyons of the mountain contrast with the delicate, small-leafed tree in the foreground. Some Ingredients is a still life composition that displays the same strength of line, forceful contrasts, and textures seen in his landscapes. [This is an excerpt from the interactive companion program to the videodisc American Art from the National Gallery of Art. Produced by the Department of Education Resources, this teaching resource is one of the Gallery's free-loan educational programs.]