Natalie S. Henry

The Dog Yard

1925

"Fifty Years Later" - Linocut Print on Paper 1/10 A silhouetted image of a person's profile dropping their ballot into a voting box. The simple shapes, t...

"History of Detroit" is in the style of a mural by the master muralist from the city of Detroit, Hubert Massey. It renders in dramatic composition the ov...

James Lesesne Wells, 'Sisters', linocut, edition not stated but small, 1928. Signed, titled, and annotated 'imp' in pencil. A fine impression on off-white wove Japan paper, with wide margins (1 7/8 to 3 3/4 inches), in excellent condition. Printed by the artist. Very scarce. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Image size 8 3/16 x 6 3/4 inches (208 x 171 mm); sheet size 13 1/2 x 10 3/4 inches (343 x 273 mm). Exhibition and Literature: 'Narratives of African American Art and Identity: The David C. Driskell Collection,' The Art Gallery at the University of Maryland, extensive touring exhibition, 1998-2000. Collections: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution (Anacostia Community Museum). ABOUT THE ARTIST “Wells is more than an artist with a deep concern for his fellow man. He carries many of his themes a step further into an apocalyptic world, a world of revelation and shifting lights. … He works on large blocks in a bold free style. … His work has a vigor, therefore, that is not often used in the medium today.” —Jacob Kainen (painter, critic, and collector) from Richard J. Powell’s 1986 essay Phoenix Ascending: The Art of James Lesesne Wells. James Lesesne Wells was an American painter, printmaker, educator, and pioneering figure of the Harlem Renaissance, whose work established a vital connection between African heritage, modernist form, and African American cultural identity. Known for his innovative use of linoleum and woodblock printing, Wells played a key role in shaping 20th-century African American art and inspired countless students throughout his lengthy career as a teacher at Howard University. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Wells' early exposure to the arts came through church and community, where African American cultural traditions were central. He pursued formal artistic training at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania (earning a B.A. in 1924), followed by studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Barnes Foundation, where he encountered European modernists as well as traditional African sculpture, which profoundly influenced his style. Wells moved to New York in the late 1920s, swiftly immersing himself in the lively artistic and intellectual scene of Harlem. There, he became associated with artists, writers, and thinkers of the Harlem Renaissance, contributing to the growth of Black cultural identity. Considered a mentor to many famed artists of the Harlem Renaissance, Wells served as director of a summer art workshop in Harlem where his assistants included Charles Alston, Jacob Lawrence, and Palmer Hayden...

"Noel" is an original linocut in green ink on tan paper by Sylvia Spicuzza. The artist stamped her signature lower center. This artwork features the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesu...

"Noel" is an original linocut on tissue paper by Sylvia Spicuzza. The artist stamped her signature lower right. This artwork features the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus. Both fig...

"Rest" is an original linoleum print by Schomer Lichtner, signed in the lower right hand corner. It features a man in the act of resting on a stick in the middle of work. Image: 5.6...

"Hotel Lobby" is a linoleum print by Alexander Tillotson. It features the view of a hotel lobby from the viewpoint of the back of two men. Thick lines and minimal negative space give...

"Swimmers" is an original linoleum print by Clarice George Logan. It features five figures enjoying a swim, jumping off from a small boat. Image: 4.94" x 6" Framed: 13.87" x 14.87" Clarice George Logan was born in Mayville, New York in 1909 but moved to Wisconsin in 1921. She attended the Milwaukee State Teachers College from 1927 to 1931 where she studied with Robert von Neumann...

"Meditation" is an original linoleum print by Schomer Lichtner, signed in the lower right hand corner. It features a man in the middle of a project, in quiet meditation. Image: 6" x 8" Framed: 14.5" x 14.37" Lichtner and his wife, Ruth Grotenrath (1912-1988), are celebrated as Milwaukee’s first couple of painting and are regarded as major Wisconsin artists. Lichtner’s impressive production, perseverance, longevity, and positive approach to his life and art made him and his work distinctive and much loved by his many admirers. His work is currently represented in collections at the Milwaukee Art Museum, the John Michael Kohler Art Center, the West Bend Museum, and in the collections of many individuals. Books on the lives and art work of both Lichtner and Grotenrath are in progress and it is anticipated that they will be published next year. Recipient of the 2006 Wisconsin Visual Artist Lifetime Achievement Award The late Milwaukee artists, Schomer Lichtner and Ruth Grotenrath, created original silkscreen prints as a part of their Christmas celebration starting in the 1940's. The subjects and colors varied from year to year but they laboriously printed these little gems themselves. Ruth Grotenrath, 1912-1988, and her husband, Schomer Lichtner, (1905-2006), are celebrated as Milwaukee’s first couple of painting and are regarded as major Wisconsin artists. From the outset, Lichtner and Grotenrath were determined to become full-time artists. Ruth Grotenrath and Schomer Lichtner began their careers by creating numerous murals for the WPA (Work Projects Administration), primarily post offices. A wonderful example can be seen in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin post office. Even during the Great Depression they worked producing Post Office murals under the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts (SFA). According to James Auer, former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel art critic, "As art and economic trends evolved, the couple’s palettes brightened and warmed. Both fell under the spell of the Mexican social realists, notably Diego Rivera, and modernists such as Matisse and Dufy. The couple’s perspective changed further after they became friends with philosopher Alan Watts...

"Noel" is an original relief print by Sylvia Spicuzza. A holiday themed print, this features the image of the virgin Mary and baby Jesus. Image: 4" x 3" ...