The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 18, 2024

Spring Gardening (recto); Sun Bathing (verso)

c. 1937

Mabel A. Hewit

(American, 1903–1984)

America, 20th century

double-sided woodblock

Block: 27.5 x 30.9 x 1.9 cm (10 13/16 x 12 3/16 x 3/4 in.)

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William Jurey in memory of Mabel A. Hewit 2010.685

Location: not on view

Description

Mabel Hewit, a Cleveland artist, learned the technique of the white line woodcut from Blanche Lazzell. Unlike Lazzell who favored images of Provincetown, flowers, or boats, Hewit chose to represent figures in everyday scenes in her own personal style. To print the image, a sheet of paper is tacked to one corner of the woodblock. Noncontiguous areas on the block are colored, often with watercolor, and the paper laid across the block. The back of the sheet of paper is rubbed, transferring the color to the paper. The groove cut into the block is not inked, so that the white of the paper acts as an outline around the colored shapes. If the pressure of the printing is strong, the white lines are embossed, or raised, on the surface of the paper. The white line accentuates the underlying linear structure of the print which strengthens the conception and unifies the composition.

Mabel Hewit scrapbooks. Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. library.clevelandart.org
Artist biographical file for Mabel Hewit. Cleveland Museum of Art May Show Records, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
Midwest Modern: The Color Woodcuts of Mabel Hewit. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 26-October 24, 2010).
{{cite web|title=Spring Gardening (recto); Sun Bathing (verso)|url=false|author=Mabel A. Hewit|year=c. 1937|access-date=18 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2010.685