Search results for ""Author The Wharton Esherick Museum""

In 1922, Wharton Esherick showed a copy Rhymes of Early Jungle Folk, which he had illustrated with woodcut prints, to Harold Mason, owner of the Centaur Bookshop in Philadelphia. Impressed by what he saw, Mason asked Esherick to illustrate Walt Whitman's Song of the Broad-Axe, which Mason published in a limited edtion in 1924. Inspired by the woodcuts, Esherick created a hand-bound prototype book of Whitman's poem, using prints made directly from his blocks and hand-lettering it in Esherick's own calligraphic style. Illuminated letters were used to begin paragraphs, and spaces at the end of lines were filled with blue and yellow drawings that reflect the content of the verses. The result of this labor of love was a work of art, 17 x 12 inches, with pages of handmade paper, folded and uncut. This book is a reproduction of Esherick's prototype, authorized by the Wharton Esherick Museum in Paoli, Pennsylvania. Though this edition is smaller than the prototype book, the original was carefully scanned and printed to provide as true a reproduction as possible. It faithfully captures the artist's vision and skill and, for the first time, makes this wonderful work available to the general public. It will be appreciated by all admirers of Esherick, Whitman, and lovers of fine books.

Read more less

When Wharton Esherick built his famous studio in 1926, it was situated near two tulip poplar trees. These trees became "witness trees," witnessing the history Esherick made there. In the late 1970s, one of these trees was struck by lighting. In 2010, this mighty witness came down. As Esherick himself had made great use of poplar boards, the Museum invited over 40 select artists to create artwork from the fallen poplar. Since Esherick was influenced by hobbyists and professional artists, the Wharton Esherick Museum invited established, emerging, and student artists alike. Captured here in 120 brilliant color photos are the resulting works of art. Among them are furniture, furnishings, woodcut prints, a poplar splint basket, ceramics finished with a poplar wood-ash glaze, and, true to Wharton Esherick, a wide range of functional sculpture.

Read more less

Artist Wharton Esherick (1887-1970) is best known for his sculptural wood pieces and the way he applied the principles of sculpture to designs for functional objects. His pioneering work has made him an inspiration to fine woodworkers worldwide, helping to elevate the medium from craft to major art museums. Much of Esherick's work is now on display in this rural studio he built on a mountaintop in Pennsylvania. This pioneering catalog documents, with beautiful color photography, more than 130 paintings, woodblock prints, sculpture, and utilitarian objects found at the Wharton Esherick Museum. One gains an appreciation for the range and depth of Esherick's work when these pieces can be studied individually.

Read more less

This facsimile edition of a 1922 children’s book features seventy-three dynamic and whimsical woodcut illustrations—the first woodcuts that the famed American craftsman Wharton Esherick produced. A high-quality replica authorized by the Wharton Esherick Museum, this book reveals the foundation of Esherick’s direction as an artist. Edited by Museum director Paul Eisenhauer, it also features a foreword by Museum assistant curator Laura Heemer. The illustrations frame verses that introduce children to the principles of evolution, a highly controversial topic at the time: the book was published three years before the famous Scopes “Monkey” trial of 1925 that resulted in the inclusion of the teaching of evolution in public schools. Drawn by the excitement of the controversy, Esherick threw his passion into these illustrations. Afterward he would go on to carve over 300 woodcuts, leading to decorative carving, and ultimately, to Esherick’s realization that he was a sculptor rather than a painter.

Read more less