On the River
Bertha Lum
American Art
Bertha Lum’s engagement with Japonisme was more intense than many of her American contemporaries. She embraced not only Japanese subjects and aesthetics but also Japanese techniques of color woodblock printing, which she learned during extended stays in the country. Traditionally, Japanese prints were made by three specialized craftsmen: an artist drew the picture, a carver transferred the image to the woodblocks, and a printer inked the blocks and produced the finished work. In recognition of her mastery of these processes, Lum was the only foreign artist included in Tokyo’s Annual Art Exhibition of 1912.
MEDIUM
Color woodcut on off-white, medium thick, moderately textured laid Japan paper
DATES
1913
DIMENSIONS
Image: 10 1/4 x 17 11/16 in. (26 x 44.9 cm) (show scale)
SIGNATURE
Signed in graphite, inside of plate, lower center "Copyright 1913 by Bertha Lum no/54"
INSCRIPTIONS
Two Japanese characters in vertical cartouche stamped on tree at lower left.
COLLECTIONS
American Art
ACCESSION NUMBER
63.108.8
CREDIT LINE
Gift of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Bertha Lum (American, 1879–1954). On the River, 1913. Color woodcut on off-white, medium thick, moderately textured laid Japan paper, Image: 10 1/4 x 17 11/16 in. (26 x 44.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, 63.108.8. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 63.108.8_PS1.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 63.108.8_PS1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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RIGHTS STATEMENT
© Estate of Bertha Lum
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