This is a wood engraving by American artist Asa Cheffetz. Cheffetz is an acknowledged master of this medium. He worked in New England in the early to mid 20th century. His subject matter represent typical New England landscapes and include villages, churches, lighthouses, and it this case the iconic covered bridge. The engraving has the bridge at the left center of the image spanning a rocky creek and framed by wooded mountains. He demonstrates his facility with wood engraving to capture the chiaroscuro (light and shadow) to enhance the drama of the scene. A beautiful example of his work.
Asa Cheffetz (1897 - 1965)
Born in Buffalo, New York, Asa Cheffetz had a studio in Springfield, Massachusetts. He became noted for his superior engraving skills, exhibited his wood engravings at the National Academy, where he was a member, and designed the official bookplate for the Library of Congress. He was also an illustrator, with one of his publications being An Almanac for Moderns.
Studied: Boston Museum Fine Art School; National Academy of Design; Philip Hale; Ivan Olinsky; William Auerbach-Levy
Exhibited: Royal Academy, London, 1929; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1929; PAFA, 1928-45 (gold, 1928, prizes 1939-40); American Federation of Arts, 1929-31; California Print Museum, 1929-1938; Art Institute of Chicago (print exhibition), 1929, 1930 (prize), 1932 (prize), 1934, 1936, 1937, 1939; Cleveland Print Club, 1931; Philadelphia Print Club, 1931-32, 1934 (prize, Exhibit American Block Prints), 1935--46 ; Bookplate Exhibition, Los Angeles Museum 1932-34 (prize, 1934); Century of Progress Expo, Chicago, 1934 (prize, International Exhibit of Prints); National Academy of Design, 1934-39, 1941; Second International Exhibition of Wood Engraving, Warsaw, Poland, 1936 (Diploma of Honor); Worlds Fair New York, 1939; Boston Museum, 1939; Princeton Univ., 1941; Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1942; American Institute of Graphic Arts, 1944; Library Of Congress, 1943-1946 (purchase prize, 1943-45); National Exhibition of Prints, N.Y., 1946 (purchase prize); also, South America, Denmark, Sweden, etc.
Work: Library of Congress; Cleveland Museum of Art; Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art; Boston Museum of Art; New York Public Library; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Art Institute of Chicago; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; National Museum of American Art; State of Israel College; Wesleyan University; Univ. Pennsylvania; American Antiquarian Soc., Worcester, Mass.; Springfield (Mass.) Museum of Fine Art; Boston Museum of Fine Art; Boston Public Library; Springfield (Mass.) Public Library; Princeton Univ.; Newark Museum; Honolulu Academy of Art; Washington County Museum, Hagerstown, Md.; Polish Govt.