The Invasion of Art
PEGGY BACON
American, (1895-1987)
Drypoint, 1943, Flint 147, edition unknown. 9 3/8 x 13 7/8 in. Signed and titled in pencil. Inscribed, "For Josephine with morbid affection from Peg." This is a superb impression of this large, uncommon print. The margins are full. The condition is fine apart from a paper tape hinge on the verso at the top, and two tiny white tape hinges at the corners also on the back. The paper bears a WHATMAN watermark. This entertaining work with an equally satirical dedication reflects the personality of the artist. There's a drawing of this same location (Kennebunkport, ME) in the Princeton University Art Museum. It's listed as the same year as the print.
$2,200

A Few Ideas
PEGGY BACON
American, (1895-1987)
Drypoint, 1927, Flint 71, edition unknown. 7 7/8 x 9 7/8 in. Signed and dated in the plate, lower right. Signed, dated and titled in pencil. This is a fine, rich impression of this uncommon and entertaining print. The margins are full and the condition is excellent. Left to right, around the table: Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Mrs. George Biddle, John Carroll, Louise Hellstrom, George Biddle and and Mrs. Kuniyoshi. Left to right, across the back: Henry Billings, Alexander Brook, Pat Riley, Peggy Bacon, Inez Carroll and Mrs. Riley. The scene is George Biddle's livingroom at their home in Croton-on-Hudson. This outstanding print is in the collection of: The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum and the National Gallery among others. Provenance: Hirschl & Adler, New York.
$5,000

Child Reaching
WILL BARNET
American, (1911-2012)
Woodcut, 1940, Cole 82, Szoke 83; edition 25 (60) 7 1/8 x 11 1/4 in. Signed, titled and numbered in pencil. This is a fine dark impression printed on thin japanese paper. The margins are full. The condition is fine other than for slight handling marks on the left and right edges of the paper. This charming work was printed and published by the artist. This impression is numbered 59/60. There's no indication in either catalogue raisonné that a second edition was printed. Most likely the artist printed 35 more impressions and continued the numbering as we see here.
$850

From Hillside Gardens
GUSTAVE BAUMANN
American, (1881-1971)
Woodcut printed in colors, 1941-46, Chamberlain 162, edition 83. 12 3/4 x 12 5/8 in. Signed, numbered and titled in pencil. This is a fine, vibrant impression of the second of two printings. The margins are wide. The condition is fine apart from a very faint suggestion of toning in the margins. The first printing (1941) was generally with a silver leaf background and here in the second printing (1946), the background color is silver ink. The inspiration for this lovely print was a garden at Hillside, Lydia Coonley Ward's home in Wyoming, New York. (Note: This is a Baumann replica frame of exceptional quality. We had it made up for this print.)
$15,000

Guitar Player
FRED G. BECKER
American, (1913-2004)
Etching, circa 1935-39, from a small edition, about 25. 9 7/8 x 7 7/8 in. Initialed in the plate. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a fine impression printed on sturdy wove paper. The margins appear to be full and untrimmed. This print bears the stamp, "FEDERAL ART PROJECT, NYC, WPA." The condition is generally fine apart from a soft wrinkle in the right margin and very small traces of adhesive at the four corners of the sheet.
$1,400

In the Park, Dark
GEORGE BELLOWS
American, (1882-1925)
Lithograph, 1916, Mason 30, edition 81. 16 7/8 x 21 in. Signed, titled and numbered in pencil. This is a superb impression printed with strong contrasts and exceptional luminosity. The margins are full and the condition is fine. (There's a very faint suggestion of an old tape residue along the top of the upper sheet edge, verso.) This large work exists in two versions, the other being Mason 31, In the Park, Light. There are, in fact, state variations in this image and our impression is slightly different that the one illustrated in the Mason catalogue. Differences in the sky, apartment house and trees are apparent. This subject, a June day in Central Park, is the basis for an oil painting which is now in the Detroit Institute of Arts. A related ink wash drawing was exhibited in the Armory show and it's now in the collection of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, NY. This is a large and exceptional print by the artist.
$5,000

My Family No. 2
GEORGE BELLOWS
American, (1882-1925)
Lithograph, 1921, Mason 116, edition 56. 10 1/8 x 8 in. Signed and titled "Family Group" by the artist. Signed by the printer, Bolton Brown. This is a very fine impression printed on thin china paper. The margins are fairly modest but this is possibly the untrimmed sheet as printed. The condition is very good other than for two small old hinges at the top corners with traces of the old adhesive showing through and a soft wrinkle along the bottom edge of the sheet, well away from the image. This second version of this subject, done in reverse of the first, is more fully developed and beautifully designed.
$2,400

The Life Class, First Stone
GEORGE BELLOWS
American, (1882-1925)
Lithograph printed on Japan paper, 1917, Mason 43 (ii/II), edition 49. 13 7/8 x 19 1/2 in. Signed, titled and numbered in pencil. This is a very fine impression with substantial and possibly the full margins. The condition is very good apart from a thinning of the paper in the lower center margin and also on the right lower corner. Bellows arrived in New York in 1904 and studied at William M. Chase's New York School of Art under Robert Henri. Henri moved on in 1909 and set up classes at 1947 Broadway which is the building Bellows occupied. This is an evening life class and Bellows was omnipresent working to improve his great skills as a draughtsman. Impressions of this outstanding print are found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Blanton Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art among others.
$5,000

The Tournament
GEORGE BELLOWS
American, (1882-1925)
Lithograph, 1920, Mason 72, edition 63. 14 7/8 x 18 1/4 in. Signed on the stone, lower left. Signed, titled and numbered in pencil. Signed in pencil by the printer, Bolton Brown. This is a fine impression with wide and probably the full margins. The condition is very good apart from slight discoloration in the margins an a few subtle wrinkles to the chine appliqué. This is the better of the two tennis prints Bellows created in 1920, both depicting tennis scenes in Newport, RI. (He and his family spent two summers in Middletown, RI.) There's an oil painting which relates to this stellar lithographic image.
SOLD

The Long Journey
FRANK BENSON
American, (1862-1951)
Etching, 1926, Paff 254, edition 150. 9 3/4 x 11 3/4 in. Signed in pencil, lower left. Here we have a fine impression printed with nicely inked plate tone. The paper is a fine off-white laid with full margins. The condition is excellent. This is a perfectly fine example of Benson's sporting art.
$1,500

Two Canoes
FRANK BENSON
American, (1862-1951)
Etching, 1927, Paff 266, edition 150. 5 7/8 x 7 3/4 in. Signed in pencil, lower left. This is a fine impression printed on light cream laid paper. The margins are full and the condition is fine. Benson did a few other canoe related prints including, "Running the Rapids," (P269), "Riverman," (P195) and "Canoeman" (P161).
$2,600

The Darkening Sky
FRANK BENSON
American, (1862-1951)
Drypoint, 1925, Paff 253, edition 150. 4 7/8 x 6 5/8 in. Signed in pencil, lower left. This is a superb impression printed on J WHATMAN watermarked paper. The margins are full and the condition is excellent.
$900

Yellowlegs in Sunlight
FRANK BENSON
American, (1862-1951)
Drypoint, 1928, Paff 285, edition 150. 9 7/8 x 7 3/4 in. Initialed and dated in the plate. Signed in pencil, lower left. This is a superb impression rich with burr. The margins are full and the condition is fine. (There's an ever so slight suggestion of toning within an early mat opening.) This beautiful print shows Benson as a master of the drypoint medium. He was a gifted watercolorist and this print displays the painterly characteristics of a Japanese brush painting.
SOLD

The Sheldrake's Brood
FRANK BENSON
American, (1862-1951)
Drypoint, 1926, Paff 258, edition 150. 4 3/8 x 5 3/4 in. Initialed in the plate, lower left. Signed in pencil. This is a fine, rich impression printed on J WHATMAN watermarked paper. The margins are full. The condition is fine apart from a very faint suggestion of toning within an earlier mat opening.
$800

November Moon
FRANK BENSON
American, (1862-1951)
Etching and aquatint, 1931, Ordeman 316, Paff 316; edition 150. 10 x 8 in. Signed in pencil. this is a superb impression with full margins. The condition is excellent. This is a beautifully designed print and shows Benson's remarkable talents as a graphic artist. He enjoyed making prints as much as working in oil painting and watercolor.
$2,300

Plodding Home
FRANK BENSON
American, (1862-1951)
Etching, 1924, Paff 234, Ordeman 234; edition 150. 2 3/4 x 2 in. Signed in pencil. Here we have a fine impression printed on a light cream paper. The margins are substantial. The condition is fine. This small but beautifully rendered print is in demand by sporting collectors.
$1,000

Two Black Ducks
FRANK BENSON
American, (1862-1951)
Drypoint, 1930, Ordeman 295, Paff 295; edition 150. 14 7/8 x 12 in. Signed in pencil. This is a superb, luminous impression of this large work. The margins are full and the condition is excellent. This work represents Benson at his best with the drypoint medium.
SOLD

Ducks at Play
FRANK BENSON
American, (1862-1951)
Drypoint, 1923, Ordeman/Paff 152; edition 150. 10 3/4 x 13 3/4 in. Initialed and dated in the plate. Signed in pencil. This is a fine impression printed on light cream laid paper. The margins are full and the condition is fine. This lovely work shows Benson's great ability to create atmospheric effects with simple lines, rich drypoint burr, and masterful inking of the plate.
$1,850

Planting
THOMAS HART BENTON
American, (1889-1975)
Lithograph, 1939, Fath 28, edition 250. 9 7/8 x 12 5/8 in. Signed on the stone, lower right. Signed in pencil. Here we have a fine impression in fine condition. Full margins. (This print came in the original AAA mat with the original hinges at the top corners.) The print is based on a drawing from 1938 done in southern Arkansas.
SOLD

Old Man Reading
THOMAS HART BENTON
American, (1889-1975)
Lithograph, 1941 , Fath 44, edition 250. 10 x 12 1/8 in. Signed on the stone and signed in pencil. This is a fine impression with full margins. The condition is excellent.
SOLD