Cavendish Church
1944. Etching on cream laid paper with a deckle edge and with an unidentified watermark with an "AL" inside an ovoid cartouche with a garter and buckle (likely English 19th century), 9 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches (242 x 140 mm); sheet 13 x 7 1/2 (330 x 190 mm), full margins. Signed, titled, dated and numbered "II" in pencil in the lower margin. In very good condition with some minor mat tone, and uniform age tone, with paper tape at the top and bottom corners at the right sheet edge, verso. A trial proof (from a total of 13 proof impressions). A good impression on antique paper.
English Series No. 11.
[Fletcher 181].
On an impression of this work belonging to William Dolan Fletcher, Arms mentions that he spent 236 hours on the first state, and an additional 53 1/2 hours on the second state.
Awards:
1945: Annual Exhibition of the Royal Academy, London
1945: Best Print in Exhibition, 22nd Annual Exhibition, Arts & Crafts Assoc., Meriden, CT.
1947: Honorable Mention for Excellence, 30th Annual Exhibition, Chicago Society of Etchers, Chicago, IL.
1948: Special Mention for Excellence, 30th Annual Exhibition, Palm Beach Art League, West Palm Beach, FL.
Born in 1887 in Washington DC, John Taylor Arms studied at Princeton University, and ultimately earned a degree in architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1912. With the outbreak of W.W.I, Arms served as an officer in the United States Navy, and it was during this time that he turned his focus to printmaking, having published his first etching in 1919. His first subjects were the Brooklyn Bridge, near the Navy Yard, and it was during his wartime travel that Arms created a series of extraordinarily detailed etchings based on gothic cathedrals and churches he visited in France and Italy (the plate for Guardians of the Spire was created in 1921). He used what was available to him, namely sewing needles and a magnifying glass, to create the incredibly rich and fine detail that his etchings are known for. Upon his return to New York after the war, Arms enjoyed a successful career as a graphic artist, created a series of etchings of American cities, and published Handbook of Print Making and Print Makers (Macmillan, 1934). He served as President of the Society of American Graphic Artists, and in 1933, was made a full member of the National Academy of Design. Arms died in Fairfield, Connecticut in 1953.
Item number: 2041
Price: $300.00
Share: