Ruth Leaf

"Sand Dunes" Sepia Landscape Etching by Ruth Leaf

1960s

This framed reproduction of Claude Monet's immensely popular painting, “The Bridge Over The Seine Near Argenteuil,” comes with a certificate of authenticity on the back and is numbered 1102, making it interesting for several reasons. The artagraphic process used to produce this work in a limited edition of 2900 is considered the state-of-the-art in art reproduction and the most respectful approach to reproducing a painting by a master. In three steps, this technique creates a 3D replica of an original oil painting's color and surface texture. Colors are scanned with a digital laser and then printed separately using oil-based inks on a single sheet. A mold is created from the original painting to reproduce its surface texture and bas-relief brushstrokes. Unlike lithographs and serigraphs, there is a palpable material and relief if you run your fingers over the surface. At the Impressionist group's first exhibition in 1874, Claude Monet demonstrated his deep interest in the motif by working on seven depictions of the Argenteuil bridge and four of the railroad bridge upstream. The artwork depicts Monet's immediate impressions of the scene rather than offering detailed realism. In these series, moored sailboats occupy the foreground, while the fluidity of the river melts harmoniously with the geometrically contrasted presence of the bridge and its imposing pillars. Monet manipulates his palette and complementary color schemes to create the illusion of light and movement through small, separate, and visible brushstrokes, making it one of the artist's most recognizable signatures. The painting displays a diversity of styles, with some elements more solid, having strong and distinct lines and structured forms defined by firm contours, while the water and the sky in the background give off an impression of moving space, floating, and ripples. An original painting of the series can be seen at Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France...

This monochromatic, black-and-white abstract painting plays a constant game between forms and shadows. For the painter, his artworks are a pure contrast between the visible and the invisible. Dark gestural lines decorate the background and contrast against a disappearing white background with subtle details of grey. Organic patterns appear in the black line work, creating an ethereal use of depth and space. The foreground contains multiple uncanny shapes feeding an overall fantasy yet gloomy atmosphere. The title of the artwork is "Phase 2...