Come Up and See Our Etchings...
through September 13, 2003

Curated by William J. Dane

The Special Collections Division of The Newark Public Library has organized an exhibition celebrating the art of etching and entitled the show "Come Up and See Our Etchings..." The project honors the centennial of the death of the celebrated American artist, James McNeill Whistler who was born in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1834, attended West Point and at various times traveled and lived in Russia, France, Italy and England where he became a much admired although controversial etcher and painter of an avant garde persuasion. The Library’s show consists of a few prints by Whistler and other etchings by over 40 international artists who created prints via the etching process. All works are from the permanent collection of The Newark Public Library.
Billingsgate, etching by Whistler.
The recognition of Whistler in particular includes biographic information, mention of his family, etchings and a lithograph by the artist, and graphic works by his contemporaries both in Europe and in Britain plus a few superb facsimiles of his three most celebrated prints in series from France, Venice and London. Whistler’s famous painting of his mother is satirized in a cynical poster from the 1960’s. The artist’s striking logo shaped like a butterfly is shown as well as mention of his maternal Scottish heritage with notice of special 2003 celebration in Glasgow. Whistler’s fame has grown for generations and much anticipated exhibitions are planned at the Freer Gallery in Washington, D.C. which has the largest Whistler collection in the world, at the Frick Museum in New York City, at The New York Public Library, at The British Museum in London and at The Grolier Club in Manhattan which has long been vitally interested in the life and work of Whistler.
Painter's Hand by Seymour Haden.  Dr. Haden was Whistler's brother-in-law.
The Newark Library’s show is chiefly made up of etched works by scores of artists including those central to "The Etching Revival" in America and Europe in the late 19th century and work by members of the prolific Moran Family who lived in Newark over a century ago in addition to New Jersey artists Edward John Stevens, Jr., Roslyn Rose, Mel Edwards, Grant Reynard, and Reginald Marsh among others. A number of prints came into the Library’s collection via membership in a variety of print organizations including The Society of Print Connoisseurs, The Brooklyn Society of Etchers, the W.P.A. program run by the federal government during the Depression Era of the 1930’s and most notably, from The Chicago Society of Etchers founded and administered by Bertha E. Jaques. Mrs. Jaques was of major importance in the history of the art of etching in America and a few of her works are shown in the gallery.
Rotary Saucer, artist's proof print by Franklin Feldman.

Particular attention is focused on color etchings by Roslyn Rose showing work from her "Homage series", and depictions of Dante’s "Inferno" by Ronald Kowalke, originally from Chicago and for a long time associated with the Fine Arts in Hawaii. The international tone of the project includes work by German, French, Czech, English, Austrian, and Spanish artists from both the 19th and 20th centuries with a strong showing of work by American graphic artists of distinction and skill with the etching tools and techniques.
Female Figure, color etching by Stanley William Hayter.
A few of the carefully selected prints were printed on silk and the iconography of the works on view is diverse to include portraits, rural scenes, landscapes, animals, the sea and seashore, work by women artists, color etchings and abstract themes. Begun in 1901, The Library’s collection of original prints now numbers well over 20,000 individual works. The curator of this show, William J. Dane, had a great time in selecting the works on display which includes etchings by John Taylor Arms, Stanley William Hayter, Rembrandt van Rijn, Kerr Eby, Peter Milton, Ralph Fabri, Picasso, and Franz T. Simon from Prague, Czechoslovakia.