Ruth Laskey Prints and Multiples

Artist: Mark Catesby (English, 1638-1749) Title: "Putorius & Pseudo Phalangium (The Pole-Cat) (Skunk)" (Plate/Tab 62) Portfolio: Natural History of Carolina, Florida & the Bahama Islands *Monogram signed by Catesby in the plate (printed signature) lower right Year: 1771-1810 (third edition) Medium: Original Hand-Colored Etching on cream J. Ruse handmade paper Limited edition: Unknown Printer: Unknown Publisher: Benjamin White, London, UK Framing: Recently framed in a black and gold moulding with 100% cotton linen fabric matting Framed size: 21.63" x 25.19" Sheet size: 13.75" x 21.13" Platemark size: 10.25" x 13.75" Condition: UV staining to sheet and mat stain in margins. Some soft handling creases. In otherwise good condition Very rare Notes: Provenance: private collection - Miami, FL. Comes from Catesby's famous two volume portfolio "Natural History of Carolina, Florida & the Bahama Islands" (1771-1810) (third edition), which consists of 220 hand-colored etchings. "J. Ruse 1800" watermark lower right. Mark Catesby's The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands is generally credited as the first published work to provide illustrations and descriptions of North American flora and fauna. From 1722-1726 Catesby, an English naturalist, ranged over South Carolina, Georgia and the Bahamas sketching and collecting specimens of native plants and animals. Skunks are North and South American mammals in the family Mephitidae. While related to polecats and other members of the weasel family, skunks have as their closest Old World relatives the stink badgers. The animals are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent. Biography: Mark Catesby (24 March 1683 – 23 December 1749) was an English naturalist. Between 1729 and 1747 Catesby published his Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, the first published account of the flora and fauna of North America. It included 220 plates of birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, mammals and plants. Mark Catesby's The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands is generally credited as the first published work to provide illustrations and descriptions of North American flora and fauna. From 1722-1726 Catesby, an English naturalist, ranged over South Carolina, Georgia and the Bahamas sketching and collecting specimens of native plants and animals. Little is known of Catesby's early life. He was born in eastern England in 1683. Although Catesby does not appear to have attended university or studied for the Bar, he was sufficiently educated to write clear English and Latin. His interest in and knowledge of plants may have derived from his uncle, who maintained a botanical garden. Catesby also appears to have benefited from an acquaintance with John Ray, a leading English naturalist of the 17th century and the co-author of an early classic study of birds...

Artist: Manuel Robbe (French, 1872-1936) Title: "Le Bouquet de Violettes (The Bouquet of Violets)" *Signed by Robbe in pencil lower right Year: 1903 Medium: Original Hand-Colored Etc...

Johnny Gotthard Friedlaender (German, 1912-1992), Abstract Composition, Etching and Aquatint in color on "L'Oeuvre Gravee" paper, blind stamped lower left, signed in pencil lower rig...

Artist: Abraham Hondius (Dutch, c.1625-1691) Title: "Honden Jagen Op Een Beer (Hounds Hunting a Bear)" *Signed and dated by Hondius in the plate (print...

Artist: (after) John Hamilton Mortimer (English, 1740-1779) Title: "Packhorse and Soldier" Year: 1783 Medium: Original Etching on watermarked laid paper Limited edition: Unknown Prin...

Artist: (after) James Ward (English, 1769-1859) Title: "Bulls Fighting" Portfolio: The Portfolio *Signed by Wise in pencil lower right. It is also signed in the plate (printed signature) lower right Year: 1874 Medium: Original Etching on laid paper Limited edition: Unknown Printer: Unknown, London, UK Publisher: Seeley, Jackson, and Halliday, London, UK Sheet size: 9.75" x 13.75" Image size: 5" x 8" Condition: In excellent condition Very rare Notes: Engraved by English artist William Wise...

Artist: André Masson (French, 1896-1987) Title: "Le Fil d'Ariane (Ariadne's Clew)" Portfolio: For Meyer Schapiro *Signed by Masson in pencil lower right Year: 1973 Medium: Original Etching with Aquatint on Rives BFK paper Limited edition: 15/100 Printer: Atelier Crommelynck, Paris, France Publisher: The Committee to Endow a Chair in Honor of Meyer Schapiro at Columbia University, New York, NY Sheet size: 18" x 13.5" Image size: 11.5" x 8.5" Condition: Never framed, has been professionally stored away for decades. In excellent condition Rare Notes: Numbered by Masson in pencil lower left. Comes from the 1974 "For Meyer Schapiro" portfolio of twelve print editions by various artists. The "For Meyer Schapiro" portfolio consisted of four lithographs (one with embossing), three screenprints (one with stamp additions), two lithographs and screenprints (one with embossing), two etching and aquatints, and one duplicated drawing. Various printers were used. In addition to Masson, the following artists also contributed to the portfolio: Stanley William Hayter, Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Alexander Liberman, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Motherwell, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, Saul Steinberg, Frank Stella, and Andy Warhol. Biography: André Masson (b. Balagny-sur-Thérain 1896 - Paris 1987) was a French artist. He was brought up in Belgium. He began his study of art at the age of eleven in Brussels, at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts under the guidance of Constant Montald, and later he studied in Paris. He fought for France during World War I and was seriously injured. His early works display an interest in cubism. He later became associated with surrealism, and he was one of the most enthusiastic employers of automatic drawing, making a number of automatic works in pen and ink. Masson experimented with altered states of consciousness with artists such as Antonin Artaud, Michel Leiris, Joan Miró, Georges Bataille, Jean Dubuffet, and Georges Malkine, who were neighbors of his studio in Paris. By the end of the 1920s, however, he was finding automatic drawing rather restricting, and he left the surrealist movement and turned instead to a more structured style, often producing works with a violent or erotic theme, and making a number of paintings in reaction to the Spanish Civil War. Under the German occupation of France during World War II, his work was condemned by the Nazis as degenerate. With the assistance of Varian Fry in Marseille, Masson escaped the Nazi regime on a ship to the French island...

Artist: Cornelius Ary Renan (French, 1857-1900) Title: "La Douleur d'Orphée (The Pain of Orpheus)" Portfolio: Gazette des Beaux-Arts *Issued unsigned Year: 1903 Medium: Original Etc...

Artist: (after) Raphael (Italian, 1483-1520) Title: "L'Amour Montrant Psyche Aux Graces" Portfolio: Gazette des Beaux-Arts Year: 1883 Medium: Original Etching on chine appliqué on wo...

Artist: Louis LeGrand (French, 1863-1951) Title: "La Loge (The Lodge)" Portfolio: Gazette des Beaux-Arts *Issued unsigned, though signed by LeGrand in the plat...

Artist: Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973) Title: "Modèle Contemplant un Groupe Sculpté (Model Contemplating a Sculpted Group)" (Plate 66) Portfolio: La Suite Vollard *Signed by Pica...

This piece titled "La Mer VE 6/8" is a variable edition piece by Kate VanVliet and is made from two-plate intaglio with drypoint, aquatint, and soft ground on Rives BFK. This piece i...