Leonard Baskin (American, 1922-2000). Insects. 4 etching proofs on paper. All have artist signature and proof type handwritten in pencil in below image. (1) "Dragonfly" first state proof, n.d. (2) "Dragonfly" touched first state proof, n.d. (3) Spiked Caterpillar. Color trial, n.d. (4) Moth. Touched proof, 1992. Artist signature and date printed in bottom periphery of image. Inscribed "for Bill from Leonard" in pencil below image. A fascinating ensemble of 4 etching proofs by Leonard Baskin, serving as intensely close, detailed studies of insects: 2 dragonflies, 1 moth, and 1 spiked caterpillar. One of the dragonfly etchings is printed on blue paper, while the other three are all on white. Being a color trial, the caterpillar is adorned with soft hues of blue, green, and red. These evocative and captivating depictions of creatures who are typically considered unwanted is a perfect example the enigmatic character that embodies Baskin's work. Size of largest image ("Dragonfly"): 4.75" W x 7.5" H (12.1 cm x 19 cm) Size of frame: 26.2" W x 15.7" H (66.5 cm x 39.9 cm)

Leonard Baskin was a 20th century "Renaissance Man" - a highly respected sculptor, printmaker, writer, and watercolorist. His prints included mythological, classical, and biblical scenes as well as portraits and floral studies. Baskin studied at Yale University from 1941 to 1943 and received his B.A. at the New School for Social Research in 1949. He also founded Gehenna Press which specialized in fine book production and taught printmaking and sculpture at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts as well as Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts from 1953 until 1974. Baskin's artworks are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, the Vatican Museum, the Smithsonian Institute, the Tate Gallery in London, and other elite institutions. His noted public sculptural commissions include pieces for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial as well as the Holocaust Memorial in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Baskin also received many prestigious honors, such as a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Gold Medal of the National Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Jewish Cultural Achievement Award. He was also honored with numerous retrospective exhibitions at institutions including the Smithsonian Museum, the Albertina Museum, and the Library of Congress.

Provenance: ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010

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#173148

All have artist signature and proof type handwritten in pencil in below image. Moth has artist signature and date printed in bottom periphery of image and is inscribed "for Bill from Leonard" in pencil below image. All set in custom matte and frame with suspension wire on verso for display. Slight tearing to gallery paper on verso and a few minor nicks to frame that do not affect any of the images. None have been examined outside of frame, but all 4 appear to be in excellent overall condition.