Mid Century Reynold Weidenaar National Cathedral Washington DC Etching 21"

Description

Mid century 1940s etching of the National Cathedral, Washington, D.C. (1943) pencil signed by Reynold Weidenaar.

Reynold Henry Weidenaar
(American, 1915-1985)
National Cathedral, Washington D.C., 1943
etching
signed and titled in pencil lower margin, signed in plate
edition of 25

“The following is from Fred W McCraw, art writer and artist. McCraw served during Weidenaar's last years as a consultant to the artist. Then, for several years after that, he also assisted the artist's family in managing Weidenaar's estate:

Reynold Weidenaar was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on 11/17/1915, and died there on 4/23/1985. He lived most of his life in west Michigan, with brief residencies away in Wisconsin, Kansas City, Missouri and in old Mexico (on a Guggenheim fellowship).
Knowing this artist during the last years of his life-his ""curmudgeon years""- was a privilege. During that time, Paula Weidenaar Graf (his daughter, business manager and executrix) and I worked to secure missing signatures from the artist in order to later organize and place an archival collection of 900+ states and finals of his intaglio works in the permanent collection of the Public Museum of Grand Rapids. That collection (The Betty and Jay Van Andel Archival Collection of Weidenaar Art), additionally includes almost all of the artist's canceled plates and the press he used to produce prints. It is a nearly complete archival collection of the artist's life's work.
Weidenaar enrolled at the Kansas City Art Institute and began printmaking in 1939. From a need to work to support himself, Weidenaar worked at a job during the day and made prints on the school's press at night. He seldom was able to attend classes, but the greater benefit afforded by the school was access to a press. He produced a significant small percentage of his total life's work during that one year in Kansas City. He won national awards while still a first year student there.
Returning to Michigan, he married, fathered three children and diligently labored at recording his visions. He quickly achieved fame and acclaim. He received a long list of honors and awards and was elected to membership in the National Academy and later was elevated to its highest rank--that of full academician.
As a painter, he is best known for his highly detailed "resin oils.

Condition

Good Overall - Print yellowed

Dimensions

16.75” x 0.5” x 20.75” / Sans Frame - 9.5” x 12.75” (Width x Depth x Height)