Gustave Baumann Original Woodcut Print of Eagle Dance Ceremony at Tesuque Pueblo [SOLD]

This classic woodcut print impression of the Tesuque Pueblo Eagle Dance was issued in three colors—black, gray, and bronze.  This impression is from the custom printed “Colophon: A Book Collector’s Quarterly” issue #12, published in 1932.  Colophon was a high-quality quarterly publication that custom printed articles in a bound publication with one original art print by a famous artist included in each edition.  This publication was available only by subscription. The issue with this Baumann print is one of the most sought after of the Colophon.  The copy of the publication from which this classic print was enclosed is included with the purchase of the woodcut print.

This Colophon print was printed from the original woodblock hand-carved by Gustave Baumann (1881-1971).  None of the prints in Colophon were ever signed in pencil, but this one does include Baumann’s initials and his monogram cypher of a hand palm in a heart in the lower left corner.  No other editions of this woodcut were ever issued.  Note:  This image was the ONLY print that was in this book. This Eagle Dance print was "loose leaf" and so it was easy to take it out and frame it.

The quarterly publication Colophon was published between 1929 and 1950 to present to the public the wide array of various printing techniques common and uncommon to the trade.  Each publication provided both historical and contemporary examples of printing techniques, typefaces, papers and graphic artwork. The work of contemporary artists was featured.  Each volume numbered around 100 pages with a subscription limited to 2000 copies quarterly.

Gustave Baumann was born in Germany and came to the US with his family when he was ten. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and returned to Germany in 1904 to study wood carving and the techniques of making woodblock prints.  In 1918 he came to New Mexico where he remained for the next 50 years, becoming an important part of the New Mexico art scene. His work focused on the beauty and uniqueness of the Southwestern landscapes and people.

The Eagle Dance is one of the more fascinating ceremonies performed at the pueblos. Dancers embody the elegance and grace of the eagle as they soar and glide across the plaza. The subject of this woodcut is seen from the perspective of someone with a prime vantage point, sitting on the roof of a home facing the center of the plaza. The dancers are joined by three drummers who provide traditional rhythmic accompaniment.

Condition: original condition

Provenance: this Gustave Baumann Original Woodcut Print of Eagle Dance Ceremony at Tesuque Pueblo is from a gentleman in Colorado

Recommended Reading: 

- Gustave Baumann: Nearer to Art by Martin F. Krause

- New Mexico Art Through Time—Prehistory to the Present by Joseph Traugott

TAGS: Fine Art Prints, Santa Fe, Gustave Baumann, Western Artist and Printmaker