[1940s].
Price: $8,000.00
Unbound. A collection of more than 150 pieces of artwork produced by William Abbe, a New England artist best-known for his scenes of daily life in and around Martha’s Vineyard. The art consists of 133 linocuts, 19 scratchboard originals, and one color screenprint of New York City. The artworks range from 3.75” x 2.5” to 8” x 6”, with 77 of the linocuts matted and 49 of these also Signed by Abbe. Overall fine with only a touch of wear or soiling to a few
Though the art is undated, the subject matter places the images to the late 1930s and 1940s with numerous images of world leaders such as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Neville Chamberlain, as well as popular entertainers of the day such as Charlie Chaplin and Groucho Marx. The images largely fall into three broad categories: current events, showing politicians and WWII planes and ship; domestic scenes, of farms, factory workers, delivery trucks, period cars, and storefronts; and beach scenes, with fishing boats, docks, and beachgoers. Nearly all images are unique with only a handful of duplicates.
William Abbe (1916-1983) studied under Harry Sternberg at the Art Students League and received a degree in art education at Columbia University. He was an illustrator for the U.S. Army from 1940-1943 during World War II and traveled the world sketching and painting. Abbe became the first teacher of fine arts at Saint Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire and spent his summers in Oak Bluffs where he maintained a studio. Exhibitions of his work have been held at the New Britain Museum of American Art and the Library of Congress' National Exhibit of Prints.
A handsome collection of mid-20th Century images of American and the world in the midst of war.
Item #413411
