And some more bathers (3/3)

Bathers, Badende 3/3

After the German expressionist examples in last posting now following and closing the theme is a choice of examples of Bathers ("Badende") in engravings, woodblock- and linoleumcut prints by European and other printmakers. Nymphs, Graces and common (are there?) bathing women. 

From ancient Hellenistic and unnamed classic artists (r) through Renaissance and painter Lucas Cranach the elder (1472-1533, l.) to our recent times a group of bathing women has intriqued men and inspired artists on all continents creating works of art and masterpieces. 




Although in no way this posting is an essay on Graces and Nymphs it's fun to see modern printmakers following in the footsteps of their brothers in Art adding a completely new chapter and volumes of wonderful pictures to history.   

Over time general and personal aesthetic values and taste have been shifting and changing. Pieter Paul Rubens' (1577-1640) 3 graces (above)  considered once the pink of perfection and female beauty today can be encountered and enjoyed in life during a walk along the beach. God, beauty and works of art are omnipresent. Time however has learned eventually more Hellenistic proportions probably will prevail. 

Proportions like in Jean Baptiste Regnault's (1754-1829) painting (1799, l.) and Jean Jacques (James) Pradier's (1790-1852) 3 Graces statue (r). 

These 3 brave contemporary Graces, with a wink, proving perception of real beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Aesthetics and its expressions in art following cycles of enlightenment, prosperity, nutritional values and changing climate.  

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France

Louis Moreau (1883-1958)

Woodblock print and painting by Paul Vaucleroy (1868-1961) 

Felix Valloton (1865-1925) (l)
Paule Vezelay, who was born and baptize Marjory Watson Williams (1892-1984) (r)

Aristide Maillol, besides painter, sculptor also a woodblock printmaker (1861-1944)

British

Ivy Anne Ellis (exh. 1920-1939) (l) studied at Birmingham School of Art, and  

John Buckland-Wright (1887-1954) (r)

Erick Gill (1882-1940) (l.)

Ian Armstrong (1923-2005) (r.)

Japan

Yamamoto Kanae (1882-1946). See also the recent Red Haired Beauty posting. Next I'll show together all remarkable prints of this enigmatic Japan trained but European influenced and seldom seen printmaker I was able to excavate from the www.

Shiro Kasamatsu (1882-1946)

& rest of the world.

Moissey Kogan (1879-1943) (L.) was a Russian-French artist murdered in Auschwitz.  And I even found an example by a Dutch printmaker: Han Snel (1925-1998) (R.)

Suisse

Giovanni Giacometi (1868-1933), showing what a little color can do.

Italy

Marino Marini (1901-1980): "Bagnati"

PS: These postings, following my stream of consciouness, are in no way "complete". There'll be probably hords of examples more. These are my just personal choice. You are invited to share and leave a comment when leaving. 

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Please revisit the updated Bathers (2/3) posting  with a new unidentified German Expressionist print and a request for help (end of posting) 

Polperro Harbour by Roland Hipkins

Roland Hipkins

(1895-1951)

British-New Zealand printmaker

and art teacher .

After Lynmouth harbour (posting of sept. 17th)  by a still unknown printmaker here's now Polperro Harbour in print. This print puzzled me for some time and now I know why. It’s a mirror image of this picturesque Cornish harbour. I've "mirrored back" Hipkins original rendering (see the autograph). And used a photograph, that I've trimmed, to compare the viewing points which are now very identical . Either Hipkins stood here or the photographer that took the photograph Hipkins used in New Zealand). Pretty accurate he was. There are only a few more windows in the buildings opposite the harbour  indicating modern times. And the roof taken of the little building or shed lower left.  

Hipkins, born in Staffordshire and trained at the Royal College of Art in London,moved to New Zealand under the La Trobe Scheme, encouraging British Art teachers to come to New Zealand. From 1922 Hipkins taught art at Napier and later Wellington Technical Schools. In 1923 he married Scottish Jenny Campbell (Ayr 1887-1970) trained at Edinburgh College of Art who emigrated to New Zealand with Hipkins in 1922. I discovered Roland Hipkins Polperro print by stumbling over these éxamples by his wife Jenny Campbell. 

They were in Margaret Anna Dobson’s (1888-1981) 1930 “Block-cutting and Print-making” book that I've recently obtained. Also, in 1930, Eric Heskett Hubbard (1892-1957), named in Dobsons book, also edited his book "Simple Colour Block Print Making" at the Forest Press. Dobsons book and her 1936 published ”Lino Prints” both were edited at Pitman & Sons are illustrated by many examples by contemporary printmakers. With prints pulled from original blocks.

Besides a good and well trained painter Margaret Dobson was quite capable of producing a linoleumcut print herself. Like the one (left) “printed from 5 linoleum blocks”. It it is the only example (included in her second, 1936, book "Lino Cuts" ) I could find.

Margaret Dobson was an American painter and illustrator, trained in Pennslylvania America and studied also in Paris and stayed in London before finally returning for America in 1933. Reading the books and seeing the dozens of names and examples she must have been well acquainted with most if not all 1920-1935 grafic artists in England. Like:

E. Mackenzie (?) 

Sydney Lee (1866-1957)

and Charles Darwins artistic granddaughter Gwen Raverat (1875-1957)

and many others she used illustrating her books.

Wharton Harris Esherick, George Soper: more ploughing.

I thought I'd done a thorough search for pictures in last weeks Ploughing Posting. Finding some that should have been included and can impossibly be left out urging me to return one more time to the ploughing horses on woodblock prints.

George Soper (1870-1942) etcher, woodblock printer, illustrator and painter. Famous for his paintings, etchings and prints of British rural life and in particular the big British working horses.. There are many drawings depicting this ploughing scene from his hand. His works are included in the collections in the British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum. 

But the greatest surprise are these very strong woodcuts by:

Wharton Harris Esherick

(1987-1970)

American architect, sculptor, Arts and Crafts artist, furniture and interior designer.

Esherick has his own museum and many websites and Blogs are dedicated to this versatile and long lived artist who is unjustly not often referred to anymore but who had a great influence on modern furniture design.

He is so good (and I cannot understand and reluctantly have to admit I'd never heard of him before) I decided sharing  some more of his great woodblock prints here.  

Googling Esherick will reveal marvellous examples of exotic, arts and crafts and honest furniture and house and home designs.

Please let me know what you think of these wonderful images in so many different styles by leaving a comment. And please have a(nother) look at the signature in the first Ploughing Post three days ago.


As a PS from Charles  (thank you Modern Printmakers) this Ex-libris, a miniature landscape by Adrian Feint

Adrian Feint