Prints

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Lot 41
  • 41

Edward Hopper

Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 USD
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Description

  • Edward Hopper
  • Night Shadows (Zigrosser 22; Levin 82)
  • 176 by 209 mm 6 7/8 by 8 1/4 in sheet 202 by 236 mm 7 15/16 by 9 1/4 in
Etching, 1921, signed in pencil, dedicated 'To Carl Zigrosser', on wove paper, with wide margins, in good condition except the left sheet edge trimmed irregularly, framed

Condition

The print is in good condition as catalogued. The left sheet edge is shaved slightly irregularly.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

Night Shadows is the only etching in Hopper's oeuvre which was not printed by the artist himself.  Instead, the zinc plate was steel-faced and printed by Peter Platt in a large edition to be included along with etchings by other American artists in the New Republic portfolio published in December of 1924 (see Lot 81 in this sale).   At that time, Carl Zigrosser was the art director of the Wehye Gallery in New York, a position he would hold until 1940 when he became the Prints and Drawings curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  It was under his guidance that the Museum purchased what is sometimes called the "Master Set" of Hopper's etchings in 1962, a group which included 105 impressions of various states and six drawings related to the prints.  In the same year Zigrosser not only donated four Hopper etchings from his personal collection to the museum (including an impression of Night Shadows), he also began his comprehensive catalogue raisonnĂ© of Hopper's graphic work.  Most likely as a response to Zigrosser's undertaking, Hopper then requested additional impressions of Night Shadows be made from the existing plates.  While it is not possible to confirm whether the impression offered here was collected by Zigrosser while he was still at the Wehye Gallery or was acquired by him during the later printing in 1962, the print and its dedication remain a lasting testament to the important relationship between artist and scholar.