Description
Color Woodcut, 1918; 5 × 7 inches, Offset lithographic print in acid-free mat and a faux gold leaf solid wood frame. A Salt Creek, Cape Cod by Margaret J. Patterson (1867-1950) is an amazing example of the incredibly difficult art of color woodblock printmaking.
C. Nickerson writes “Patterson tended to flatten spatial relationships and omit transitional tones. Her shadows — often blue or violet, never a grayish hue — become simple, but significant forms in themselves. In making her prints, Patterson achieve tonal subtleties that would make many painters proud. Amazingly, she also managed to convey the impression of freedom and spontaneity in an art form that’s hard, rigid and demands precision.”
Patterson’s work is in the following public collections: Cleveland Art Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Oakland Art Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston
