“The woodcuts of Jacques Hnizdovsky represent some of the freshest and most original printmaking in American graphic arts of the past thirty years.”
—Peter Wick, From the Foreword
Bold lines, realistic images, and stark contrast typify the woodcuts and etchings of Jacques Hnizdovsky, one of America’s most recognized woodcut artists. He left a legacy of inventive and appealing images in this remarkable art form. For hours he toiled over a pearwood block, gouging and scraping to create a distinctive design. Now his designs are among the most collected woodcuts in the world.
Jacques Hnizdovsky Woodcuts and Etchings, a guide to his life’s work, reproduces all the woodcuts and etchings of this popular artist, including more than 350 linocuts and woodcuts printed since 1944. More than 130 works on wood not contained in the first edition published in 1976 and twenty-two etchings on metal plates are also presented.
A native of the Ukraine, Hnizdovsky emigrated to the United States in 1949. He worked primarily in painting, sculpture, and ceramics before returning to an early interest in printmaking. An autobiographical essay details his years of experimentation, the evolution of his distinctive style, and his personal view of his art. He gained recognition and success quickly.
His works are part of the permanent collections of the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, and the New Orleans Museum of Art, among others. This book was compiled by Abe M. Tahir, Jr. He owned the Tahir Gallery in New Orleans, where for twenty years Hnizdovsky’s prints were the best-selling works on display.