Mask Composition
Linoleum cut (woodcut?), circa 1930, small edition. 10 x 9 5/8 in. Signed in the block, lower center. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a fine, rich impression printed on a thin Japanese paper. The margins are full. The condition is very good apart from a printing crease, lower right, slightly extending into the image. There's slight toning within an earlier mat opening and specks of printers ink in the margins. In 1929, Wells was hired to work at Howard University to teach in a number of mediums. He was an influencial teacher and mentor to young artists during his career including Elizabeth Catlett. His early work, as seen here, was inspired by German expressionism and African sculpture. This is a very rare work.
SOLD