Little Venice

ca. 1893

Not on view

A leader of the American Arts and Crafts movement, Dow’s advanced ideas concerning color and design are beautifully conveyed by his woodcuts. Born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, the artist studied tonalist painting in France for five years then returned to Boston in 1889. Fascinated by Ukiyo-e prints, Dow examined examples at the Museum of Fine Arts, together with Japanese printing equipment at the Smithsonian Institution. After mastering a multi-block process, he created forty compositions between 1891 and 1921, many printed in multiple variations with experimental inking. These works explore the expressive potential of color and, in 2016, the Museum acquired a significant group, including this experimenatl proof of "Little Venice," created at the start of Dow's career. The vertical "pillar print" format recalls Japanese models, and the work comes from a set of ten titled "Along Ipswich River." The artist began by staining the paper green, intending this to show through the light beige ink used in the sky and water.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

References

Title: Little Venice
Artist: Arthur Wesley Dow (American, Ipswich, Massachusetts 1857–1922 New York State)
Date: ca. 1893
Medium: Color woodcut
Dimensions: Image: 4 7/8 × 2 3/16 in. (12.4 × 5.5 cm)
Sheet: 6 1/16 × 3 3/8 in. (15.4 × 8.5 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of the Dowd-Gallogly Family and Allan E. Dowd, 2016
Object Number: 2016.423.2
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

By Arthur Wesley Dow

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Modern Art

Multiple artists/makers

1895

Little Venice, Arthur Wesley Dow American, Color woodcut; early state, with key block and single color — Little Venice
Arthur Wesley Dow
ca. 1893

Marsh Creek, Arthur Wesley Dow American, Color woodcut — Marsh Creek
Arthur Wesley Dow
ca. 1907

"The Derelict" or "The Lost Boat", Arthur Wesley Dow American, Color woodcut; trial proof of single color block, American — "The Derelict" or "The Lost Boat"
Arthur Wesley Dow
1916

Nabby's Point, Arthur Wesley Dow American, Color woodcut on cream paper, American — Nabby's Point
Arthur Wesley Dow
ca. 1913

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