Forthcoming

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Whaling from the New England Industries, late 1940’s

SKU: 7297
Presentation:
framed

Size:
Height – 0cm x Width – cm

DESCRIPTION

Provenance:
David Leighton, the artist’s nephew

In the late 1940’s Wedgwood commissioned Leighton to produce a series of 12 wood engravings to represent the traditional industries for which New England was famous, including Whaling (Massachusetts, especially Nantucket), Marble Quarrying (a Vermont specialty), Lobstering (associated with Maine), Tobacco Growing (Connecticut), Maple Sugaring (Vermont and New Hampshire), Cranberrying (Massachusetts), as well as a variety of  traditional activities found in all New England States, and many other northern or coastal States, including Ship Building, Logging, Farming, Cod Fishing, Grist Milling and Ice Cutting.  The original twelve wood engravings themselves were produced in a limited edition of 50 sets, individually numbered and signed by the artist.  Wedgwood then adapted these engravings and transfer printed them onto 10.5 inch dinner plates.

The work took her all over the Northeast, and upon its completion she decided to move to Massachusetts (she would later settle in Woodbury, Connecticut). Although she broke new ground in designing the Wedgwood plates, she finished the project feeling both triumphant and exhausted. In the unpublished notes towards an autobiography she made in old age, she recollected: “Once I had finished the Wedgwoods, I realised I needed to forget wood engraving. It is no wonder that after so many years, I found myself growing exhausted by it. I felt I was running the risk of repeating myself and ceasing to grow.” She saw the Wedgwood plates as one of her most ambitious projects, perhaps even the culmination of her career.

A collection of original artwork and manuscript material by Leighton for the series is in the collection of The Yale Centre for British Art, including Leighton’s preliminary studies, compositional studies, wood-engraved states, and final prints:

http://collections.britishart.yale.edu/vufind/Record/2038711

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THE ARTIST

Clare Leighton
Clare
Leighton
1898 - 1989

Clare Leighton attended the Brighton School of Art (1915), the
Slade School of Fine Art (1921’23) and the Central School of Arts
and Crafts. Despite her childhood nickname ‘The Bystander’, she
became a hugely visible artist on both sides of the Atlantic, and her
vast oeuvre includes engravings, paintings, bookplates, illustrations
and stained glass. Her twelve plates for Wedgwood, New England
Industries, 1952, are amongst her best-known work. 

She exhibited with the SWE in London (1923) and at the
1934 Venice Biennale ‘ attaining full membership to the Royal
Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers in the same year. She also
made several tours of the United States, becoming a naturalised
citizen in 1945. By the time of her death, Leighton had authored
twelve books and made over 840 prints.

MORE PICTURES BY ARTIST

SKU: 11817

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Loading the Ponies, Dalmatia

£575.00

SKU: 11813

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Jugoslav Gypsies

£595.00

SKU: 11811

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Windsor Castle

£460.00

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Toulon Washerwomen

£495.00

SKU: 11809

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Road Makers Jugoslavia’ (Dalmatia)

£645.00

SKU: 11807

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Dalmatia Spinners

Original price was: £555.00.Current price is: £444.00.

SKU: 11802

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

The Washing Boat

Original price was: £550.00.Current price is: £440.00.

SKU: 11801

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

The Sleepy Fish Wife

£575.00

SKU: 11127

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Ellen and Her Children (BPL578), 1944

£440.00

SKU: 10114

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

The original woodblock for: Lo Children Are an Heritage BPL 660, 1952

£1,800.00

SKU: 10115

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

The original woodblock for: The Lord Reigneth BPL 655, 1952

£1,950.00

SKU: 9705

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

The original woodblock for: Those were Rolling Hills (Kentucky Scene), BPL 566 1944

£1,900.00

SKU: 9693

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

I went by the field (Psalms), BPL 667 1952

£1,000.00

SKU: 9697

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Reading, Writing, Speaking, BPL 730 1959

£1,100.00

SKU: 9690

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Flowers on a hilltop near a bay

£1,000.00

SKU: 9692

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Lighthouse, BPL 688 1954

£1,800.00

SKU: 8436

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Man Drinking from a Gourd

£390.00

SKU: 8438

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Worker with bucket, preparation for engraving

£380.00

SKU: 7750

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Rural French landscape with houses, circa 1920’s

£1,200.00

SKU: 7752

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

French landscape with telephone mast, circa 1920’s

£825.00

SKU: 7753

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

French landscape with tree, fence and barrel, circa 1920’s

£975.00

SKU: 7754

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Study of leather purses and drapes

£275.00

SKU: 7745

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Study of Adzes on a stable door

£325.00

SKU: 7746

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Study of a butter churn

£280.00

SKU: 5844

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

The calf auction (BPL7), 1924

£475.00

SKU: 5712

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

The Malthouse, (BPL 1), 1923

£480.00

SKU: 5713

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Resting, 1931

£675.00

SKU: 5714

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Barges, (BPL 6)

£545.00

SKU: 5711

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Hatteras wreck, circa 1950 (BPL 626)

£250.00

SKU: 5477

Clare Leighton (1898 - 1989)

Plot 3 (BPL ?)

£1,300.00