Deserted Farm (Vermont) by Asa Cheffetz

This is a fantastic wood engraving by the acknowledged American leader is this medium, Asa Cheffetz. In the 1930s Cheffetz created a series of wood engravings of New England scenes that are unmatched for their technique and composition. Deserted Farms is a bit later, created around 1950 (Springfield Catalogue 91). The image has the farm in the center of the image, framed by strong diagonals to anchor the composition using the golden section. His dramatic handling of the lighting allows the dwellings to show their disrepair through different textures and light and shadow. His mastery of the engraving technique is on full display. A spectacular work by this master printmaker.
The piece is framed and is in good condition although it has not been examined out of the frame. It is a sharp, well-inked impression with no fading, discoloration, loss, or foxing. There is some slight plate toning as the mat is not archival. It is signed in the lower right and titled lower left. There is a monogram lower left. The frame is in good as found condition. The framed size is 18.5 x 14.5 inches. This print was issued in an edition of 250 by the Associated American Artists Group. An outstanding example of his work.

Asa Cheffetz (1897 - 1965)

Born in Buffalo, New York, Asa Cheffetz had a studio in Springfield, Massachusetts. He became noted for his superior engraving skills, exhibited his wood engravings at the National Academy, where he was a member, and designed the official bookplate for the Library of Congress. He was also an illustrator, with one of his publications being An Almanac for Moderns.
Studied: Boston Museum Fine Art School; National Academy of Design; Philip Hale; Ivan Olinsky; William Auerbach-Levy
Exhibited: Royal Academy, London, 1929; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1929; PAFA, 1928-45 (gold, 1928, prizes 1939-40); American Federation of Arts, 1929-31; California Print Museum, 1929-1938; Art Institute of Chicago (print exhibition), 1929, 1930 (prize), 1932 (prize), 1934, 1936, 1937, 1939; Cleveland Print Club, 1931; Philadelphia Print Club, 1931-32, 1934 (prize, Exhibit American Block Prints), 1935--46 ; Bookplate Exhibition, Los Angeles Museum 1932-34 (prize, 1934); Century of Progress Expo, Chicago, 1934 (prize, International Exhibit of Prints); National Academy of Design, 1934-39, 1941; Second International Exhibition of Wood Engraving, Warsaw, Poland, 1936 (Diploma of Honor); Worlds Fair New York, 1939; Boston Museum, 1939; Princeton Univ., 1941; Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1942; American Institute of Graphic Arts, 1944; Library Of Congress, 1943-1946 (purchase prize, 1943-45); National Exhibition of Prints, N.Y., 1946 (purchase prize); also, South America, Denmark, Sweden, etc.
Work: Library of Congress; Cleveland Museum of Art; Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art; Boston Museum of Art; New York Public Library; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Art Institute of Chicago; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; National Museum of American Art; State of Israel College; Wesleyan University; Univ. Pennsylvania; American Antiquarian Soc., Worcester, Mass.; Springfield (Mass.) Museum of Fine Art; Boston Museum of Fine Art; Boston Public Library; Springfield (Mass.) Public Library; Princeton Univ.; Newark Museum; Honolulu Academy of Art; Washington County Museum, Hagerstown, Md.; Polish Govt.

Size: 1930s
Price: $475
Framed Size: 18.5 x 14.5 inches
Plate Size: 8.75 x 5.5 inches
Condition: Good
Medium: Wood Engraving
Subject: Landscape

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