The Linosaurus: Frances Hammel Gearhardt

Sunday, 13 February 2011

Arie Zonneveld (I)

Arie Zonneveld
(1905-1941)

Dutch linoleum and woodcut printer

Spring is in the air !

Arie’s blossoming tree printings.

The opening print showing one of the first signs of spring in Low Land Countries. Coltsfoot often flowering as soon as in Februari, here underneath typical Dutch pollard willows scenery.

I think this must have been a popular print because the first one showing considarable wear of the block comparing it with the one on the left.

Last year, through the wonderful and excellent Blogs of Clive (Art and the Aesthete) and Lily (Japonisme) I revealed a cross section of Dutch Arie Zonneveld’s printed art to you. Comparisons were made with great and famous printers: Frances Hammel Gearhardt (1869-1959) and William Seltzer Rice (1873-1963). I think Gustave Baumann (1881-1971) and Pedro de Lemos (1882-1945) should be added to the list (see below for linking to these posts). Baumann the grand and true master of printing blossoming trees.

There was a shared amazement concerning quality and originality of this remarkable but unknown and mostly forgotten Dutch printer’s creative output.
Could Arie have had knowledge of the works of his fellow American printers? On the European continent many printers were working but not in a style closely resembling his. On his flowers, maybe (I will show those in following postings).

Carl Rotky

Gustave Baumann

Color printing (landscape)artists like Carl Thieman (1881-1966) Hans and Leo Frank (1884-1959), Carl Rotky (1891-1977) and Hélène Mass (1871-) coming to mind. The Austrian- Hungarian printers developing an altogether different style. I can’t think of any English or France examples. Artists like Oscar Droege (1898-1982) showing a completely different approach to printing landscapes.

both examples by Gustave Baumann.

Earlier I pointed to the books by Pedro de Lemos. In the Netherlands there were simply no printers mastering the art of color printing combining linocut and wood-key block printing that could have been taught or shown to him. Although he visited Italy Arie was not a widely travelled man.

I think he figured it out mainly by himself which makes his achievements in color printing all the more amazing. In his short life he has shown a wonderful eye to the beauty around him and an amazing sensitivity and skillful ability to capture the world around and pass it down to us. Even two, three generations later.

Visit:

http://lotusgreenfotos.blogspot.com/search?q=zonneveld
and
http://www.clivechristy.com/search?q=zonneveld

to catch up on the art of Arie ZOnneveld.

To be continued soon !

All examples by Arie Zonneveld unless otherwise stated.

Monday, 7 February 2011

Pedro Joseph de Lemos (II)

Pedro Joseph de Lemos

(1882-1945)

began his art studies in the Bay Area. In 1900 he was a pupil of Arthur Matthews at the Mark Hopkins Institute and continued his studies as a student of George Bridgman at the Art Students League in New York and Arthur Wesley Dow at Columbia University Teachers College.

Returning to Oakland, Lemos set up his studio overlooking Lake Merritt and began teaching at U.C. Berkeley. He also worked as an illustrator and designer and began teaching classes in decorative design and etching at the San Francisco Institute of Art, formerly the Mark Hopkins Institute, in 1911.

Lemos was a founding member of the California Society of Etchers and one of his prints won honorable mention at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915 for which he was chief organizer of the California print exhibition. Frances Hammel Gearhardt (1869-1958) exhibited there too.

He was Professor of Design at Stanford University and was appointed director of the Stanford Museum of Art in 1919. First president of the Carmel Art Association, Lemos was also affiliated with other art organizations including the California Society of Etchers, the California Print Makers, the Palo Alto Art Associations, the Chicago Society of Etchers and the Bohemian Club.

His influence was widespread and his achievements were honored in 1943 by his induction as fellow of the Royal Society of Art in London.

The purpose of this posting is to shown together all the pictures of woodblock prints by Pedro de Lemos I've collected strolling on the Internet. To my knowledge there is no publication on his art or woodblock prints. If you know of more prints please let me know.

Most pictures have good resolution, one ore two haven't. If you have better ones I would appreciate sending me a copy. Most pictures are "mouse clickable". I hope I have surprised you with one or two not often seen prints. I have a file with some paintings by de Lemos which I will post on request.