Leonard Baskin (American, 1922-2000). "Northwest Self Portrait" etching, 1996. Artist's signature and date in lower periphery of image. Hand-signed with "proof" inscribed below image. A startling self-portrait by Leonard Baskin featuring the monumental-sized visage of the artist confronting the viewer with a towering top hat surmounting an austere countenance. All background is eliminated, bringing the focus to Baskin's aging face with gaunt cheeks and bristled chin as he stares out from piercing, black eyes. The dark stripe of his shirt or beard combined with the outline of his tall, white hat forms a vertical channel through the composition, placing the artist's visage at the meeting point of light and darkness. What's more, the cap's shaded underbrim creates a black halo enveloping Baskin's temples and casting a deep shadow, making his cranium appear to fade into darkness - perhaps the artist's subtle nod to his proclivity for grim subject matter. Size of image: 17.25" W x 23.5" H (43.8 cm x 59.7 cm) Size of frame: 29.75" W x 36.25" H (75.6 cm x 92.1 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.

"Northwest Self Portrait" has been collected by Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.

Please note: An accompanying label lists this piece for $4200.

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

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#175926

Hand-signed with "proof" inscribed below image. Artist's signature in lower left-center of image and date in right-center of image. Set behind glass in a custom matte and frame with a suspension wire on verso for display. Etching has not been examined outside the frame but appears to be in excellent condition. A few minor nicks to frame, but otherwise in overall excellent condition.