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Samuel Chamberlain
Samuel Chamberlain, The Public Gaol, Williamsburg (Virginia)

1938

About the Item

Samuel Chamberlain was a superb draftsman and his architectural images are often very complex. This image is, by contrast, quiet and understated: serene to the point of lonely. It's a view of the 'Gaol' in Virginia's Colonial Williamsburg. More than a mere jail, a gaol was also a workhouse and/or debtor's prison -- a sad and horrific place. It was common for residents to die from the cold or contagious diseases. Signed and numbered in pencil. Titled in lower margin possibly in another hand. Reference notations on the reverse, also in another hand. Edition of 100 (probably proposed -- this isn't a common print). Here we've given the 'style' as American Modern. Probably second or third-generation Etching Revival is closer.
  • Creator:
    Samuel Chamberlain (1895-1975, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1938
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 8 in (20.32 cm)Width: 11 in (27.94 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Extremely good condition.
  • Gallery Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU141028401222
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