The first half of the 2oth century was an extraordinarily vibrant moment in the history of American printmaking. Overall, the era marked great changes in the visual arts, and prints recorded concurrent shifts in social and cultural behavior. A new group of social real- ists, some of whom were members of the so-called Ash- can School, began to adopt the life of the streets as their primary subject in prints as well as paintings. At the same time, printmakers began to explore modernist aesthetics, particularly after the Armory Show of 1913. Gradually, artists who came to be called Regionalists focused on rural life as the subject for their prints. America offered limitless opportunities for the imaginations of printmakers. In turn, they captured this exciting phase of United States history with dynamic, innovative work.
Pressed in Time: American Prints 1905-1950 explores this vital period by presenting rarely seen material from the Huntington Art Collections and from the private collections of Hannah S. Kully and Gary, Brenda, and Harrison Ruttenberg. Both the Kully and Ruttenbergcollections are promised gifts to the Huntington. The publ.ication includes an introduction by Jessica Todd Smith. discussing the history of American prints at the Huntington; short essays by Kevin M. Murphy focusing on specific images and themes; 54 plates; and 5 illustra-tions. The 82 artists represented in the checklist pro- duced works that are as visually striking and technically superb as they are deeply imbued with political and social engagement.
This book was published in conjunction with the exhibition Pressed in Time: American Prints 1905-1950 at the Huntington Library； Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, October 6, 2007 through ]a.nuary 7, 2oo8.
The project has been made possible by a generous contribution from Steve Martin. |
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