A Time to Gather Stones Together by Richard Bennett

This is a woodblock print by Washington artist Richard Bennett. The image presents part of Ecclesiastes 3:5 and is titled with text from the King James version of the Bible, A Time to Gather Stones Together. The figures in the image are extraordinary, bearing their heavy loads of stones, straining, climbing and, in the case of figure in the center foreground falling. The image is reminiscent of the legend of Sisyphus, an impression that is enhanced by the rendering of a seemingly unending line of stone haulers disappearing over the horizon in the upper left. A truly powerful allegorical piece.
The print in in excellent condition. It is richly inked with no fading. There is some residual hinge tape on the upper margins. There is minimal soiling of the paper on the lower margin well away from the image and signature. It is pencil signed lower right. It is titled in pencil lower left and the edition size is given 31/50. An excellent work by the artist.
Richard Bennett (1899-1971) Richard Bennett was a beloved artist who spent most of his life in Bellevue, Washington and left a huge legacy through his creation of the Bennett School. He is best known as an illustrator of books for children but was an accomplished artist. He was especially well known for his woodcuts, many of which reflected Biblical themes. He was born in Ireland, came to the United States as a child with his family. They bought a farm near Bellevue, and Bennett spent most of the rest of his life there. He studied art at the University of Washington. He moved east to teach, establishing himself in South Bend, Indiana. It was here that he developed his skills as a printmaker. His prints are held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of History and Industry, Seattle. In 2010, the University of Washington Press published a book, The Art of Richard Bennett by David F. Martin. In this book, Mr. Martin notes the influence of Bennett and others on book design and production as inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement.

Size: 1930s
Price: $600
Size: 20 x 16 inches
Plate Size: 17.75 x 13 inches
Condition: Excellent
Medium: Wood Block Print
Subject: Religious

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