Hand Colored Steel Plate Etching "Flowering Tree" by Aida Whedon (C. 1960s)

Details

Description

The Artwork
"Flowering Tree" - Artist's Proof (AP)

Medium: Hand colored steel plate etching with natural inks on paper
Dimensions: … Read more The Artwork
"Flowering Tree" - Artist's Proof (AP)

Medium: Hand colored steel plate etching with natural inks on paper
Dimensions: 20" x 16" (gallery framed in period frame)
Date: c. 1960s
Signature: Signed "Aida Whedon"
Edition: Artist's Proof - the first piece pulled and hand colored by Aida Whedon herself
Created at: Dodge Barn, Cow Neck, NY studio

This exceptional piece represents the pinnacle of Whedon's printmaking practice, being an Artist's Proof - the very first impression pulled from the plate and personally hand colored by the artist. The work has remained in private hands since its creation, making this a rare market appearance.
Condition & Presentation
The print is in good vintage condition and comes gallery framed in an appropriate period frame. The current matting shows an old brown mark as visible in the photographs, but both the frame and the print itself are in excellent condition. We recommend professional re-matting and interior dusting for optimal preservation and presentation.
About the Artist
Aida Anthony Whedon (1915-1994) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and became one of the most accomplished printmakers of her generation. Her artistic education was exceptional, studying at the Art Students League from 1933 to 1938 under both Regionalist master Thomas Hart Benton and Abstract Expressionist pioneer Hans Hofmann. She later refined her printmaking skills from 1975 to 1980 with Ruth Leaf of the renowned Atelier 17 at the New School of Social Research.
Working from her studio at Dodge Barn in Cow Neck, NY, Whedon developed her distinctive approach to hand colored etchings using natural inks, combining traditional printmaking techniques with her unique artistic vision.
Artistic Legacy & Teaching
Together with her sculptor husband Daniel Clark Whedon (1916-2003), Aida operated the Aida Whedon School of Art in Port Washington, New York, where she taught "thousands of children" while maintaining her distinctive New Orleans accent throughout her half-century in New York.
Exhibition History & Collections
Whedon's distinguished career included:

Debut exhibition: Walker Gallery, New York (1937)
Major exhibitions: Heckscher Museum, Huntington, NY (1976); Royal Academy Exhibition, Sweden (1977-78)
Solo exhibitions: South Street Museum, Graphic Eye Gallery in Port Washington, and galleries throughout England, Maine, New York, and Long Island

Her works are held in prestigious collections including the North Shore Unitarian Church of Plandome, Long Island, and the universities of Maine, Chicago, and Rutgers, as well as numerous banks and corporations.
Significance & Collectibility
This Artist's Proof represents a unique opportunity to acquire a work that demonstrates Whedon's mastery of the complex steel plate etching process combined with her distinctive hand coloring technique using natural inks. As the first impression pulled from the plate and personally colored by the artist, it holds special significance in her body of work.
The piece's absence from the market since its creation makes this a particularly exciting discovery for collectors of American printmaking and mid-century art.

A rare Artist's Proof by a distinguished American printmaker, unseen on the market since its creation in the artist's Cow Neck studio. See less