Isac Friedlander Autumn Drypoint Print 1939

Artist: Isac Friedlander (Latvian-American, 1890–1968)
Artwork Title: Autumn
Year of Execution: 1939
Classification: Original Fine Art Print / Master Graphic Work
Edition State: Trial Proof #2 (Extremely Rare)
Signature: Hand-signed, titled, dated, and annotated by the artist in pencil
Medium: Original Intaglio Etching / Drypoint Print
Paper Stock: Premium heavy cream wove archival paper
Plate Dimensions: 33 x 27.5 cm / 13.0 x 10.8 in
 
An authentic, museum-grade Friedlander Autumn Drypoint Print 1939 original master graphic work. This exceptional, rare piece is a hand-signed, titled, and dated artist’s Trial Proof #2 (annotated in pencil as "Autumn" - "Trialproof" - #2 by the artist in the lower margin). It represents an incredibly scarce and early state of the artwork, pulled from the copper plate by the hand of the celebrated Latvian-American master printmaker Isac Friedlander.
The composition exhibits a magnificent, deeply textured landscape centered on a majestic, gnarled tree standing on a windswept hill during the transition into autumn. Utilizing a razor-sharp drypoint needle directly into the metal, Friedlander achieved a breathtaking level of linear complexity, rich velvety burr, and atmospheric depth, characteristic of the late-1930s American Realist and WPA-era graphic renaissance. Printed on heavy cream wove archival paper, the impression retains strong plate marks and clean margins. Its fine lines, brooding tonal range, and supreme scarcity make it an elite acquisition for serious fine art collectors, or a sophisticated structural centerpiece for contemporary and mid-century luxury gallery walls.
 
About the Artist
Isac Friedlander (1890–1968) was a widely acclaimed master etcher, wood engraver, and social realist painter born in Latvia. After surviving a czarist death sentence at age 16 for political activism and receiving formal fine art training at the Academy of Rome, he immigrated to New York during the heights of the Great Depression. Friend to the legendary author Maxim Gorky, Friedlander built an iconic career documenting the raw psychological depth of the human condition and the gritty urban landscapes of mid-century Manhattan. His masterful printmaking works are immortalized in the permanent collections of the world’s most prestigious institutions, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.