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Benton Murdoch Spruance
'Broken Carousel' — Mid-Century American Symbolism

1950

$1,600
£1,228.73
€1,408.11
CA$2,252.40
A$2,523.19
CHF 1,312.37
MX$30,777.72
NOK 16,708.25
SEK 15,754.69
DKK 10,509.75

About the Item

'Broken Carousel', color lithograph, 1950, edition 35, Fine and Looney 285. Signed, titled, and numbered '18/35' in pencil. Initialed in the stone, lower right. A fine, richly-inked impression, with fresh colors, on Rives cream wove paper; wide to full margins (1 1/8 to 2 3/8 inches). A small stain on the top right sheet edge, well away from the image, otherwise in excellent condition. Archivally matted to museum standards, unframed. Image size 18 1/2 x 13 3/8 inches (470 x 340 mm); sheet size 22 7/8 x 15 7/8 inches (581 x 403 mm). Collections: Cleveland Museum of Art, Free Library of Philadelphia, National Gallery of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art. ABOUT THE ARTIST Benton Spruance is widely recognized as one of America’s most important twentieth-century printmakers. Born in Philadelphia, he first took architectural classes at the University of Pennsylvania. Spruance then earned a scholarship to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he studied with Daniel Garber. While at the Academy, he was awarded a Cresson Scholarship in 1928 to study in Paris, where he was introduced to lithography at the studio of master printers Edmond and Jacques Desjobert.  Lithography became Spruance's lifelong passion; he created over 400 lithographs during his long and prolific career. The subjects of these works ranged from social commentary to modernist explorations depicting mid-twentieth America to biblical/symbolist representations.  Spruance taught at Beaver College and served as chairman of the Fine Arts Department for over three decades. He then became director of graphic arts at the Philadelphia College of Art. He was awarded two Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowships in 1950 and 1964, and he was appointed a member of the Library of Congress Pennell Fund Purchase Committee 1955-62. Spruance exhibited his work nationally and internationally. His graphic work is held in numerous museum collections, including the Amon Carter Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Art, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Five Colleges and Historic Deerfield Consortium, Free Library of Philadelphia, Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Reading Public Museum, Spencer Museum of Art, Library of Congress, Woodmere Art Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
  • Creator:
    Benton Murdoch Spruance (1904 - 1967, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1950
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 18.5 in (46.99 cm)Width: 13.38 in (33.99 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 1025941stDibs: LU53239169582

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