Jack Levine Signed Etching "The Bearded Man," Numbered 28/50, Framed

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This is an original etching by Jack Levine, one of the defining American Social Realist painters and printmakers of the … Read more This is an original etching by Jack Levine, one of the defining American Social Realist painters and printmakers of the 20th century, whose satirical, socially conscious work grew out of his experience as a WPA artist in Depression-era Boston. Levine trained under Dr. Denman Ross at Harvard's Fogg Museum after being identified as an exceptional talent in his teens, and he went on to become one of the most respected figurative artists of his generation, with work held in major American museum collections. Titled "The Bearded Man" and dated 1962, this piece combines etching, drypoint, and aquatint techniques to build a richly textured, expressive portrait, rendered in Levine's characteristic loose, painterly linework and deep tonal shading. The bearded figure emerges from a dense field of crosshatched marks and aquatint shadow, a hallmark of Levine's ability to give a single face real psychological weight. The print measures 10.5 by 8 inches and is generously framed to 20 by 24 inches, giving it substantial presence on a wall well beyond what the plate size alone suggests. It's signed "J. Levine" in pencil at the lower right and numbered 28 from an edition of 50 at the lower left, exactly as his authenticated prints are marked. This same title has documented sales history through established auction houses, appearing alongside other well-known Levine prints such as "The Rabbi in His Study" and "L'Enlevement des Sabines." The piece is presented in a gold-tone frame with a fabric mat and insulated with 100% rag paper, a conservation-grade material that reflects careful, quality framing rather than a budget approach. This piece is sourced from a private Brookline, Massachusetts estate collection, alongside a companion Levine aquatint from the same home. Levine's prints are actively collected by admirers of American Social Realism and mid-century figurative printmaking, and pieces with this level of technical complexity, combining three separate intaglio processes, are especially well regarded. See less