Skip to main content

Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

American, Italian, 1902-1993

As American art of the 1930s and 1940s has become increasingly sought after, Letterio Calapai’s wood engravings have been rediscovered, and there is a growing realization that he was among the more distinguished artists working in this idiom during this period. Born in Boston, Calapai studied at the Mass. School of Art, the Art Students League, and the American Artists School. He was a student of Robert Laurent, Ben Shahn, and Stanley Hayter. From 1949–55, he was chairman of the Graphics Arts Department at Albright Art School at Buffalo and taught at the New School in New York from 1955-62. He was the founder and director of the Intaglio Workshop for Advance Printmaking in New York from 1960–65 and then became a professor of art at the University of Illinois.

(Biography provided by Harris Schrank Fine Prints)
to
2
2
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
4
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
1
1
4
11,691
2,883
2,492
1,603
1
4
Artist: Letterio Calapai
Letterio Calapai, (Sky Abstraction), 1957, mid-century wood engraving
Letterio Calapai, (Sky Abstraction), 1957, mid-century wood engraving

Letterio Calapai, (Sky Abstraction), 1957, mid-century wood engraving

By Letterio Calapai

Located in New York, NY

Letterio Calapai is widely recognized as a major American artist of the twentieth century. He is widely respected as a printmaker, especially for engravings and wood engravings, and ...

Category

1950s American Modern Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Woodcut

"Labor in a Diesel Plant" Machine Age American Scene Industrial Mid 20th Century
"Labor in a Diesel Plant" Machine Age American Scene Industrial Mid 20th Century

"Labor in a Diesel Plant" Machine Age American Scene Industrial Mid 20th Century

By Letterio Calapai

Located in New York, NY

"Labor in a Diesel Plant" Machine Age American Scene Industrial Mid 20th Century Letterio Calapai (American 1902-1993) ''Labor in A Diesel Plant'' Wood engraving, 1940 17 x 10 1/2...

Category

1940s American Modern Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Lithograph

ROCKWELL KENT'S STUDIO
ROCKWELL KENT'S STUDIO

ROCKWELL KENT'S STUDIO

By Letterio Calapai

Located in Portland, ME

Calapai, Letterio. ROCKWELL KENT'S STUDIO. Wood engraving, 1980. Titled, numbered 7/75 and signed in pencil. 6 x 8 7/16 inches, 153 x 216 mm. In very good condition. Framed.

Category

1980s American Realist Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Engraving, Woodcut

8:30 EXPRESS

8:30 EXPRESS

By Letterio Calapai

Located in Portland, ME

Calapai, Letterio (American, 1902-1993). 8:30 EXPRESS. Wood-engraving, 1943. Edition of 27, numbered "1/27" and titled and signed in pencil. 5 5/8 x 8 3/8 inches (image), 9 1/8 x 12 ...

Category

1940s Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Woodcut

Related Items
Untitled
Untitled

Kiki SmithUntitled, 1995

$4,000

H 31 in W 21 in

Untitled

By Kiki Smith

Located in New York, NY

Kiki Smith 'Untitled,' 1995 Woodcut with color additions by hand 31 x 21 inches Edition 43 of 47 Signed In 1995 five well-known American artists - Donald Baechler, Julian Lethbridge...

Category

1990s Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Woodcut

Christ on the Mount of Olives

Christ on the Mount of Olives

By Albrecht Altdorfer

Located in New York, NY

A brilliant and early impression of this woodcut. Dark, well-inked, with strong contrasts and no sign of wear. From "The Fall and Salvation of Mankind Through the Life and Passion of Christ."

Category

16th Century Renaissance Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Woodcut

Chris Ware New Yorker Cartoonist Limited Edition Thanksgiving Print NYC
Chris Ware New Yorker Cartoonist Limited Edition Thanksgiving Print NYC

Chris Ware New Yorker Cartoonist Limited Edition Thanksgiving Print NYC

By Chris Ware

Located in Surfside, FL

This is one print – printed in full color on 15" x 20" heavy cream-colored paper. It is from a limited edition series of 175, the portfolio is hand numbered and hand signed by Chris Ware. the individual prints are not. The page with the hand signature is included here as a photo for reference only it is not included in this sale. Franklin Christenson "Chris" Ware (born December 28, 1967), is an American cartoonist known for his Acme Novelty Library series (begun 1994) and the graphic novel Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth (2000) and Building Stories (2012). His works explore themes of social isolation, emotional torment and depression. He tends to use a vivid color palette and realistic, meticulous detail. His lettering and images are often elaborate and sometimes evoke the ragtime era or another early 20th-century American design style. Ware often refers to himself in the publicity for his work in self-effacing, even withering tones. He is considered by some critics and fellow notable illustrators and writers, such as Dave Eggers, to be among the best currently working in the medium; Canadian graphic-novelist Seth has said, "Chris really changed the playing field. After him, a lot of [cartoonists] really started to scramble and go, 'Holy [expletive], I think I have to try harder.'" While still a sophomore at UT, Ware came to the attention of Art Spiegelman, who invited Ware to contribute to Raw, the influential anthology magazine Spiegelman was co-editing with Françoise Mouly. Ware has acknowledged that being included in Raw gave him confidence and inspired him to explore printing techniques and self-publishing. His Fantagraphics series Acme Novelty Library defied comics publishing conventions with every issue. Ware's art reflects early 20th-century American styles of cartooning and graphic design, shifting through formats from traditional comic panels to faux advertisements and cut-out toys. Stylistic influences include advertising graphics from that same era; newspaper strip cartoonists Winsor McCay (Little Nemo in Slumberland) and Frank King (Gasoline Alley); Charles Schulz's post-WWII strip Peanuts and the cover designs of ragtime-era sheet music. Ware has spoken about finding inspiration in the work of artist Joseph Cornell and cites Richard McGuire's strip Here as a major influence on his use of non-linear narratives. He is one of the great practitioners who have elevated the graphic novel style along with, Shepard Fairey, Ben Katchor and Robert Crumb. Quimby the Mouse was an early character for Ware and something of a breakthrough. Rendered in the style of an early animation character like Felix the Cat, Quimby the Mouse is perhaps Ware's most autobiographical character. Ware's Building Stories was serialized in a host of different venues. It first appeared as a monthly strip in Nest Magazine...

Category

Early 2000s American Modern Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Color

"Actor Kataoka Nazaemon as Oboshi Yaranosuke Leader of the 47 Ronin" Portrait
"Actor Kataoka Nazaemon as Oboshi Yaranosuke Leader of the 47 Ronin" Portrait

"Actor Kataoka Nazaemon as Oboshi Yaranosuke Leader of the 47 Ronin" Portrait

By Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)

Located in Austin, TX

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada "Toyokuni the Third" (Japanese 1786 - 1864) Page Size: 14 x 9.5 in. Frame Size: 21 x 16.25 Translation of Calligraphic Japanese Text: 大星由良之助 Ōboshi Yuranosu...

Category

Mid-19th Century Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Paper, Woodcut

GREETINGS FROM THE HOUSE OF WEYHE. Many Known Artists Inside the Gallery
GREETINGS FROM THE HOUSE OF WEYHE. Many Known Artists Inside the Gallery

GREETINGS FROM THE HOUSE OF WEYHE. Many Known Artists Inside the Gallery

Located in Santa Monica, CA

MAYBEL DWIGHT (1875 - 1955) GREETINGS FROM THE HOUSE OF WEYHE, 1928 Lithograph, signed in the plate. Image 7 1/8 x 8 3/8” + printed title. Sheet 8 ¼ x 9” as issued. Xmas card iss...

Category

1920s American Modern Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Lithograph

Mystic Cafe, Pyramids Signed Aquatint Etching California Woman Artist Susan Hall
Mystic Cafe, Pyramids Signed Aquatint Etching California Woman Artist Susan Hall

Mystic Cafe, Pyramids Signed Aquatint Etching California Woman Artist Susan Hall

By Susan Hall

Located in Surfside, FL

Hand signed and numbered Aquatint Etching Susan Hall lives and works in Point Reyes Station, California, a town in the heart of the Point Reyes National Seashore. This pristine wilderness area is dominated by a mosaic of bays and ocean, rolling grass lands and forests. It is inhabited by a diversity of wildlife, including over 450 species of birds, mountains lions, deer, bobcats, foxes, and elk. Ms. Hall who is a native of this area returned after spending twenty years in New York City. In her book, “Painting Point Reyes”, Hall says, “Point Reyes is the center of my painting life. Point Reyes has been my life and when I haven’t lived here, it has been an underground stream that spoke to me in dreams and visions.” While living and painting in New York City, Ms. Hall exhibited her work widely in museums and galleries. Among them are the Whitney Museum of Art; San Francisco Museum of Art; Nancy Hoffman Gallery, Trabia MacAfee Gallery, Phyllis Kind Gallery, Chicago; Ovsey Gallery, Los Angeles. In addition, her work has been featured in group exhibitions throughout the United States and abroad, including in 2020 Bud Shark's Ink: The California Crew at BMoCA, Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art Colorado USA representing the panoply of aesthetics, cultural backgrounds, viewpoints, and talent held within the bounty of art “made in California.” This remarkable grouping of artists, Brad Brown, Enrique Chagoya, Roy De Forest, Amy Ellingson, Susan Hall, Don Ed Hardy, Mildred Howard, Robert Hudson, Hung Liu, Kara Maria, Rex Ray, Alison Saar, Italo Scanga, and William T. Wiley. Women to the Fore, Hudson River Museum Yonkers 2021 A group of women artists working in oil painting and drawing, lithograph prints and photograph, collage and sculpture. Many icons of feminist art history. Judy Chicago, Judy Giera, Marisol, and Shanequa Benitez, Ann McCoy...

Category

1970s American Modern Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Shadows, Garage at Night

Shadows, Garage at Night

By Martin Lewis

Located in New York, NY

Martin Lewis (1881-1962, Shadows, Garage at Night, drypoint, 1928, signed in pencil lower right [also signed in the plate lower right]. Reference: McCarron 69, only state, from the t...

Category

1930s American Realist Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Drypoint

19th century woodcut engraving print figurative American forest trees scene
19th century woodcut engraving print figurative American forest trees scene

19th century woodcut engraving print figurative American forest trees scene

By Winslow Homer

Located in Milwaukee, WI

The present woodcut engraving is an original print designed by Winslow Homer, originally published in Harper's Weekly on April 30, 1859. It is an excellent example of the many prints Homer produced of fashionable people engaged in leisurely activities, in this case along a picturesque countryside lane. The sign reading 'Belmont' on the left indicates this is probably near his home in Belmont Massachusetts. The image presents multiple figures, both men and women, riding horseback: Some in the distance gallop away, toward a town marked by a church steeple beyond. Three others in the foreground, including two equestrian women, gather around a group of children who have been gathering flowers and trapping birds...

Category

1850s Victorian Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Engraving, Woodcut

Winslow Homer 19th Century Woodcut Engraving "Making Hay"
Winslow Homer 19th Century Woodcut Engraving "Making Hay"

Winslow Homer 19th Century Woodcut Engraving "Making Hay"

By Winslow Homer

Located in Alamo, CA

This Winslow Homer woodcut engraving entitled "Making Hay", was published in Harper's Weekly in the July 6, 1872 edition. It depicts a two men hand cutting high grass on a hill. The man in the foreground is looking at a young boy and a girl (presumably his children), who are sitting on the ground with a picnic basket. This beautiful Homer woodcut engraving is presented in a brown wood frame and a light beige fabric mat with a black inner mat. The print is in excellent condition. There are two other Homer woodcut engravings in identical frames and mats that are listed on 1stdibs. See LU117326148332 and LU117326148272. These would make a wonderful display grouping. A discount is available for the purchase of two or all three of these prints. This Winslow Homer engraving...

Category

1870s American Impressionist Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Engraving, Woodcut

Chris Ware New Yorker Cartoonist Limited Edition Thanksgiving Print NYC
Chris Ware New Yorker Cartoonist Limited Edition Thanksgiving Print NYC

Chris Ware New Yorker Cartoonist Limited Edition Thanksgiving Print NYC

By Chris Ware

Located in Surfside, FL

This is one print – printed in full color on 15" x 20" heavy cream-colored paper. It is from a limited edition series of 175, the portfolio is hand numbered and hand signed by Chris Ware. the individual prints are not. The page with the hand signature is included here as a photo for reference only it is not included in this sale. Franklin Christenson "Chris" Ware (born December 28, 1967), is an American cartoonist known for his Acme Novelty Library series (begun 1994) and the graphic novel Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth (2000) and Building Stories (2012). His works explore themes of social isolation, emotional torment and depression. He tends to use a vivid color palette and realistic, meticulous detail. His lettering and images are often elaborate and sometimes evoke the ragtime era or another early 20th-century American design style. Ware often refers to himself in the publicity for his work in self-effacing, even withering tones. He is considered by some critics and fellow notable illustrators and writers, such as Dave Eggers, to be among the best currently working in the medium; Canadian graphic-novelist Seth has said, "Chris really changed the playing field. After him, a lot of [cartoonists] really started to scramble and go, 'Holy [expletive], I think I have to try harder.'" While still a sophomore at UT, Ware came to the attention of Art Spiegelman, who invited Ware to contribute to Raw, the influential anthology magazine Spiegelman was co-editing with Françoise Mouly. Ware has acknowledged that being included in Raw gave him confidence and inspired him to explore printing techniques and self-publishing. His Fantagraphics series Acme Novelty Library defied comics publishing conventions with every issue. Ware's art reflects early 20th-century American styles of cartooning and graphic design, shifting through formats from traditional comic panels to faux advertisements and cut-out toys. Stylistic influences include advertising graphics from that same era; newspaper strip cartoonists Winsor McCay (Little Nemo in Slumberland) and Frank King (Gasoline Alley); Charles Schulz's post-WWII strip Peanuts and the cover designs of ragtime-era sheet music. Ware has spoken about finding inspiration in the work of artist Joseph Cornell and cites Richard McGuire's strip Here as a major influence on his use of non-linear narratives. He is one of the great practitioners who have elevated the graphic novel style along with, Shepard Fairey, Ben Katchor and Robert Crumb. Quimby the Mouse was an early character for Ware and something of a breakthrough. Rendered in the style of an early animation character like Felix the Cat, Quimby the Mouse is perhaps Ware's most autobiographical character. Ware's Building Stories was serialized in a host of different venues. It first appeared as a monthly strip in Nest Magazine...

Category

Early 2000s American Modern Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Color

Hilaire Hiler WPA Era Native American Fox Costume Color Serigraph 1934 Print
Hilaire Hiler WPA Era Native American Fox Costume Color Serigraph 1934 Print

Hilaire Hiler WPA Era Native American Fox Costume Color Serigraph 1934 Print

By Hilaire Hiler

Located in Denver, CO

An important 1934 WPA-era color serigraph by American modernist Hilaire Hiler (1898–1966), this dynamic work titled Native American Fox Costume exemplifies the artist’s bold synthesis of modernist abstraction, cultural symbolism, and avant-garde color theory. The composition depicts a stylized figure in ceremonial fox costume, poised with a bow and adorned with an elaborate feathered headdress, rendered in striking contrasts of black, red, and white. The result is a powerful visual rhythm that reflects both the graphic experimentation and cultural fascination characteristic of early twentieth-century American Modernism. Executed during the WPA period, this original serigraph demonstrates Hiler’s distinctive semi-abstract style, in which figuration is reduced to geometric structure and symbolic form. The flattened composition, bold outlines, and saturated palette create a sense of movement and ritual energy, reinforcing the work’s connection to mythic narrative and Native American-inspired themes common in WPA-era printmaking. The artist’s engagement with color theory and structural design is evident throughout, making this an especially strong example of his print oeuvre. Hilaire Hiler was a key figure in American modernism, known not only as a painter and printmaker but also as a color theorist and educator associated with WPA mural projects, including work for the Aquatic Park...

Category

1930s American Modern Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Screen

Previously Available Items
"Labor in a Diesel Plant" Machine Age American Scene Industrial Mid 20th Century
"Labor in a Diesel Plant" Machine Age American Scene Industrial Mid 20th Century

"Labor in a Diesel Plant" Machine Age American Scene Industrial Mid 20th Century

By Letterio Calapai

Located in New York, NY

"Labor in a Diesel Plant" Machine Age American Scene Industrial Mid 20th Century Letterio Calapai (American 1902-1993) ''Labor in A Diesel Plant'' Wood engraving, 1940 17 x 10 1/2' inches (sight) Signed, titled and annotated 'artist's proof' and inscribed 'To Angelo Pastor with admiration' LC in pencil. BIO The outstanding printmaker Letterio Calapai (1902-1993) was born in Boston where he undertook basic art studies. In addition, he enrolled in the Art Students League in New York and named the following as his private teachers: Ben Shahn, Robert Laurent and Charles Hopkinson. Calapai became a member of the National Society of Mural Painters, the Atelier 17 Group of Northwest Printmakers, the Springfield, Massachusetts Art League and the Baltimore Watercolor Club, as well a the Society of American Graphic Artists. In 1934 Calapai turned to printmaking almost exclusively and exhibited three works at Salons of America: Eleanora, Odalisque and Portrait. In the same year at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts he exhibited The Negress. Two years later his watercolor, Maine Islands No. 7 was on view at the Art Institute of Chicago's winter show. In 1977 the Workshop Gallery in Glencoe, Illinois held a retrospective exhibition of Calapai's woodcuts and wood engravings. The artist's works are to be found in the following museums: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Fogg Art Museum (Cambridge, MA), the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the New York Public Library, Columbia University, Princeton University, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Kunsthaus in Zurich, the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, in addition to many more museums all over the world. Calapai executed a mural in Brooklyn's 101st Battalion Armory and he illustrated books, for instance, Look Homeward, Angel, a portfolio of wood engravings inspired by Thomas Wolfe...

Category

1940s American Modern Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Pianist
The Pianist

Letterio CalapaiThe Pianist, 1941

Sold

H 7.57 in W 5.88 in

The Pianist

By Letterio Calapai

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Letterio Calapai, 'The Pianist', woodcut, 1941, edition 35. Signed, titled, numbered '22/35' and annotated 'To Dr. William Covington' in pencil. The artist...

Category

1940s American Modern Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Woodcut

The Pianist
The Pianist

Letterio CalapaiThe Pianist, 1941

Sold

H 7.57 in W 5.88 in

The Pianist

By Letterio Calapai

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Letterio Calapai, 'The Pianist', woodcut, 1941, edition 35. Signed, titled, numbered '22/35' and annotated 'To Dr. William Covington' in pencil. The artist...

Category

1940s American Modern Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Woodcut

Eight-thirty Express
Eight-thirty Express

Eight-thirty Express

By Letterio Calapai

Located in New York, NY

Letterio Calapai (1902-1993), Eight-Thirty Express, wood engraving, 1943, signed and dated ’43 lower right, titled and inscribed trial proof 3 bottom left in pencil [with the monogra...

Category

1940s American Modern Letterio Calapai. 1902-1993. Art

Materials

Engraving, Woodcut

Letterio Calapai art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Letterio Calapai art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Letterio Calapai in woodcut print, engraving and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Letterio Calapai art, so small editions measuring 16 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Frank Wootton, Felix de Weldon , and Cecil Crosley Bell. Letterio Calapai art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $375 and tops out at $2,800, while the average work can sell for $1,650.