The Provincetown Etchers:
The Collection
The Provincetown Etchers meticulously captured the streets and harbors in the earlier part of the 20th century though the tradition really never ended. William Bicknell is the granddaddy of the lot and considered to be the master of the medium. BJO Nordfeldt, George Elmer Browne, Albert Edel, Morgan Dennis, Ross Moffett, all made significant contributions. Who many of the artists were have sadly fallen thrugh the cracks of Provincetown history though we have done our best to help recreate their stories.
Although the tradition rests in a black and white pallette, there are several colored etchings included in the exhibit. Alber Edel, Marjorie Ryerson, and TF Simon.
Spotlight: Contemporary artist Judy Friday has taken the etcher concept out of the box. "I paint the sky over the water in the early morning -- it is a small oil on board study so I can capture the mood quickly. I then take it into the studio where I paint a larger work using oil-based etching ink on paper. The painting gets further abstracted in this stage."
BJO Nordfeldt... In the winter of 1909, Bert and Mary Vorse toured Europe with the children. They were accompanied by Bror Nordfeldt, a Swedish etcher of some note, and his fiancee. - dee garrison
Ross Moffett (bio pending)
William Bicknell (bio pending)
Albert Edel (1890-1961) (bio pending)
Albert Edel (bio pending)
(1860 - 1947) Known locally as 'The Etcher' William Bicknell's Provincetown prints have become part of the town's historical record. Works in the gallery include a view of the first Provincetown Playhouse (at Race Point), portraits of artists at work on the dunes, and a scene of men cutting ice at Shank Painter Pond.
(1894–1988) Reiss worked as a commercial artist for newspapers, publishers, and a motion picture company. Eventually he became art director for Paramount Studios and is credited to be the creator of the Leo the Lion logo of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios
George Elmer Browne (bio pending)
George Elmer Browne (bio pending)
Morgan Dennis (1892 – 1960) was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He studied art with William Harry Warren Bicknell. He was commissioned by the Black and White Scotch Whiskey Company to illustrate the "Black and White Scotties", a successful ad campaign used over many years. (wikipedia)
We who are untrained and non-professional admire his work. Now is that a compliment
or not? Perhaps we like his subjects, "The Cove," "The Dunes." - A Book About Artists - 1927
Click here to Return To The Table of Contents
