The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 16, 2024
Dragon and Orchard
c. 1908
(American, 1857–1922)
Sheet: 25.4 x 19.2 cm (10 x 7 9/16 in.); Image: 15.8 x 12.2 cm (6 1/4 x 4 13/16 in.)
Catalogue raisonné: Acton and Goddu 39
Location: not on view
Description
In his dual roles as artist and teacher, Dow was instrumental in reviving the color woodcut in America at the turn of the 20th century. Impressed by the flat, simplified compositions of Japanese color woodcuts, or ukiyo-e prints, Dow abandoned Western naturalism, with its linear modeling and one-point perspective, in favor of the basic elements of Japanese design: line, form, color, and notan—the harmonious arrangement of dark and light. Although in Japan the artist only executed the drawing—the carving and printing were carried out by craftsmen—Dow did everything himself. Like the Japanese, however, he printed by hand on mulberry paper. The picturesque Massachusetts fishing village of Ipswich and the surrounding area were Dow's subjects. The town is separated from the sea by sprawling salt marshes that are divided by canals and rivers. Dow expressed the changing effects of atmosphere and light by experimenting with color, which resulted in unique impressions.- Cleveland Museum of Art, “Recent Acquisitions Press Release,” March 17, 2000, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. Mentioned: p. 3 archive.org
- Georgia O'Keeffe: Living Modern. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (November 21, 2018-March 3, 2019); Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, KS (March 29-June 23, 2019).Against the Grain: Woodcuts from the Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 17-November 9, 2003).From Rembrandt to Rauschenberg: Recently Acquired Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 17-November 26, 2000).Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, 1999, Along Ipswich River: The Color Woodcuts of Arthur Wesley Dow, no. 39, p. 31 fig. 21, illus.
- {{cite web|title=Dragon and Orchard|url=false|author=Arthur Wesley Dow|year=c. 1908|access-date=16 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2000.1