Inventory for Augusta Rathbone (1897-1990)
Augusta Rathbone created two versions of this print utilizing the same plate but printed years apart. Desolation Valley (on the left) and Dick's Peak - Dawn - Sierra Nevada, California (on the right), were both produced in very small editions. The first version, "Desolation Valley", was created while California artist Augusta Rathbone was living in France circa 1930, and was printed in the Paris shop of master printer Alfred Porcabeuf (1895-1946?). According to information in Brokl (1984), Acton (1990), and Seaton (2006), Rathbone would deliver her plates to Porcabeuf, whereupon the printing of images would be discussed but would be printed in the absence of the artist and without her active participation. In the case of this print, Porcabeuf did not believe in Rathbone's interpretation of granite as pink, he knew full well that granite was blue, and set about printing the plate in its predominant blue colors. Perhaps a concession to Rathbone's desires was made by printing the image on a slightly pink toned paper.
In the late 1930's, as the threat of war worsened, Rathbone returned to California with her printing plates in toe. On her return she began to learn to print her own images. Dick's Peak - Dawn - Sierra Nevada, California is from the second printing in the United States (circa 1940's). In this second, and last version, the artist is in full control of the printing, including the choice of paper, impression, edition size, and most importantly color. We now see the pink granite as originally intended.
Dick's Peak, elevation 9,974 ft (3,040 m), is part of the Desolation Wilderness area located in California just west of Lake Tahoe, it approximates the crest of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
For more on these particular prints and the artist, see David Acton's book "A Spectrum of Innovation Color in American Printmaking 1890-1960" (1990:108-109) as well as Elizabeth Seaton's edited volume "Paths to the Press: Printmaking and American Women Artists, 1910-1960" (2006:210-211) .
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"Desolation Valley" circa 1930. Color aquatint and etching.
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"Dick's Peak - Dawn - Sierra Nevada, California" Plate created circa 1930, printed later circa 1940's. Color aquatint and etching.
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