Featured Artists' Biographies (R)

Rowbotham, Thomas Leeson (1783-1853).

View larger image and more information for Wolfgang Rabl's original etching Woman and Various Figures.

Wolfgang Rabl (Vienna, Austria, Born, 1942): A contemporary Austrian painter and etcher, Wolfgang Rabl studied art techniques at the Akademie der Bildenden Kunste, Vienna, in 1964 and 1965. At this time Vienna was the center for the influential movement known as 'Fantastic Realism'. Generally, Fantastic Realism combines extreme realism with either fantasy or elements of the unconscious. The movement was officially founded in 1947 by such artists as Rudolf Hausner (1914-1995), Wolfgang Hutter and Anton Lehmden. Another well known representative was Ernst Fuchs (born, 1930).

During his career Wolfgang Rabl has participated in major exhibitions in Prague, Munich, Linz, Malmo, Stockholm and Vienna. Today his paintings and etchings are included in public collections in Austria, Germany and Sweden.

View larger image and more information for Boy With An Orange, an original etching by Andre Racz.

Andre Racz (Cluj, Romania, born, 1916 - New York, 1994): One of America's most influential artists of the post 1950's era, Andre Racz was actually born and raised in Romania and studied art at the University of Bucharest where he received his BA in 1935. He moved permanently to New York in 1939 and became an American citizen in 1948. He completed his artistic education there at both the New School for Social Research and at the renowned Atelier 17 (1943-45). Under the direction of Stanley William Hayter, Atelier 17 became the focal point for avant guarde printmaking. At this early date its two most controversial young artists were Andre Racz and Mauricio Lasansky who both created prints that elaborated upon Picasso's savagely distorted and anguished imagery. One author writes,

Andre Racz was a member of the Society of American Graphic Artists. His original etchings and engravings are included in such far reaching collections as the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Library of Congress, Washington, the San Francisco Museum of Art, the Museo de Bellas Artes, Santiago, Chile, the National Gallery, Oslo, the Art Gallery of Salzburg, and the Museum of Modern Art, Mexico City.

View more information for Contructions, an original silkscreen by Mario Radice.

Mario Radice (Como, 1900 - Milan, 1987): One of Italy's most famous artists of the mid twentieth century, Mario Radice was equally accomplished as a painter, silk-screen artist and as an architectural designer. Amazingly, Radice was almost entirely self-taught. He first exhibited his work in Rome, Milan and Venice in 1930. Not the least of his accomplishments is that he was one of the first promoters of pure abstract art in Italy.

At the end of the Second World War (1945), Radice's art came to the attention of the international community. Exhibitions of his paintings and silk-screens were held in France, Germany, Scandinavia and in the United States. Many Museums throughout Italy and elsewhere now include examples of his art in their permanent collections.

View larger image and more information for Sous La Pluie, an original Engraving by Jean Francois Raffaelli.

Jean Francois Raffaelli (Paris, 1850 - 1924): Of the many now famous artists associated with the movement of French ism it can be stated that Jean-Francois Raffaelli was one of its finest etchers. After finishing his studies in the atelier of Gerome, Raffaelli began to exhibit his art at the Paris Salon in 1870. By 1880 he had become a leading member of the Salon des Independants, along with such other artists as Degas, Monet, Pisarro and Renoir.

Unlike most of the ists, Raffaelli devoted himself more to original print making than to painting. Delteil's catalogue raisonne on Raffaelli's graphic art lists one hundred and eighty-three prints, with all but five in the mediums of etching and engraving. His drypoint engravings (both in colours and in black and white) made him famous, particularly in his studies of Parisian life.

View larger image, more information and other original works of art by Archie Rand.

Archie Rand (Born, Chicago, 1949): A well recorded contemporary American painter and lithographer, Archie Rand studied at the Chicago Art Institute and the Tamarind Lithography Workshop in Los Angeles. His first exhibited art dates from 1971. Since that time his paintings and lithographic art have been shown throughout the United States at galleries in Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, New York, Atlanta, Tucson, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

A constant theme of Rand's art has been to develop extraordinary relationships between apparently commonplace items and their surroundings. This is clearly the case in this fine lithograph where furnishings appear to take on unexpected meaning within a matrix of bold colours and lines. Both Expressionistic and Surreal in his approach, Rand's lithographic art always provokes strong sensations.

View more information for Figure Study, an original wood engraving by Gwendolen Mary Raverat.

Gwendolen Mary Raverat (Cambridge, England, 1885 - 1957): During the 1930's British wood engraving reached perhaps its finest period. Such masters as Gordon Craig, Robert Gibbings, Arthur Eric Gill, Gertrude Hermes, Paul Nash, and Leon Underwood produced many masterworks within this medium. With her many fine figure studies and landscape engravings, Gwen Raverat clearly belongs to this heralded group. Born in Cambridge, Gwendolen Mary Raverat was the daughter of Sir George Darwin and the granddaughter of Charles Darwin. She studied painting in London at the Slade School of Art (1909-1911) under Henry Tonks, Fred Brown and Philip Wilson Steer. She then went to Paris to study at the Sorbonne where she met and married Jacques Pierre Raverat, a fellow student.

Gwen Raverat lived and worked in both France and Italy until her husband's death in 1925. She then returned to Cambridge where she illustrated many fine books, including A Sentimental Journey (1932) and Countess Kate (1948). She was a founding member of the Society of Wood Engravers (1920) and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers (1934). Her wood engravings are today included in many major collections, including that of the British Museum, London.

View larger image and more information or Houses an original aquatint by Nono Reinhold.

Nono Reinhold (Haarlem, Holland, Born, 1929): A leading twentieth century Dutch printmaker, Nono Reinhold first studied at the School of Decorative Arts, Amsterdam. She settled in Paris in 1951 and shortly thereafter joined S. W. Hayter's famous workshop, Atelier 17. Reinhold concluded her studies at the Pratt Graphic Center, New York, with Jim Dine and Willem de Kooning.

Nono Reinhold returned to Amsterdam in 1963 and established her own printmaking studio there. From 1980 to 1990 she was also the Professor of Printmaking at the Academy in Den Bosch. Since 1965, Reinhold's original prints have been included in many major exhibitions in Holland, Italy, France, Britain, the United States and Japan. Houses is an exceptional example of her colour techniques.

View more information Le Chapeau Epingle, an original etching by Pierre Auguste Renoir.

Pierre Auguste Renoir (Limoges, Paris, 1841 - Cagnes, 1919): One of the greatest masters of French ism, Pierre-Auguste Renoir created slightly over fifty original etchings or lithographs during his life. His first original graphic work of art was created in 1890 and, during the following ten years, he was encouraged to produce more etchings and lithographs by his friends, such as the etcher, Roux-Champion, and the publisher, Ambroise Vollard. The themes of Renoir's original prints are very much akin to those of his paintings; scenes of people he admired, children, bathers, nudes -- all examined in the ever changing light of the moment.

One of the greatest masters of French ism, Pierre-Auguste Renoir created slightly over fifty original etchings or lithographs during his life. His first original graphic work of art was created in 1890 and, during the following ten years, he was encouraged to produce more etchings and lithographs by his friends, such as the etcher, Roux-Champion, and the publisher, Ambrose Vollard. The themes of Renoir's original prints are very much akin to those of his paintings; scenes of people he admired, children, bathers, nudes -- all examined in the ever changing light of the moment.

View larger image and more information for the original drawing, Dear Old Fairy Godmother by Emily Hilda Rix Nicholas.

Emily Hilda Rix Nicholas: Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, 1884 - Delegate, New South Wales, 1961. : One of Australia's great twentieth century painters, Emily Hilda Rix Nicholas first studied art at the National Gallery School, under Frederick McCubbin (1902-1905). Along with her sister and mother, she then departed for London in 1907 to study under John Hassall at the New Art School of Kensington. Her studies were completed in the following year in Paris when she took lessons at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere, under Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen and Claudio Castelucho.

Rix Nicholas's drawings and paintings of both Picardy and Morocco led to rapid international acclaim. A large painting was exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Francais (1911) and many drawings and paintings were included in exhibitions conducted by the Societe des Peintres Orientalistes, Paris. In 1912 the Government of France purchased her, Grand Marche, Tangier, for the Luxembourg Gallery. Both The Studio, in London, and Notre Gazette, in Paris, published extensive articles upon her art. French critics enthusiastically compared her work with such masters as Besnard, Lenoir, Forain and Lautrec.

In 1924, Rix Nicholas was invited to exhibit her Australian art in both France and England and returned to Paris. Again, the government of France purchased one of her most important paintings, In Australia, and she exhibited at London's prestigious, Royal Academy. She returned to Australia in 1926. During the same year she was also elected an Associate of the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts.

View larger image, more information and other original works of art by Ruth Rodman.

Ruth Rodman (American, Resides, Boston, Massachusetts): A contemporary Boston sculptor and printmaker, Ruth Rodman has exhibited her art throughout the United States. Her original prints have been the subject of special expositions by the Associated American Artists, New York, and the New York State College Museum. She has also regularly exhibited with the Boston Printmakers. Today, Ruth Rodman's art may be found in the following public collections; the Worcester Art Museum, the Honolulu Institute of Fine Arts, the Boston Public Library, the Minneapolis Museum of Art, the New York Public Library and the New York Graphics Society. She has been commissioned for original prints from such publishers as the Bowles Hopkins Gallery, California, John Szoke Graphics, New York, and the New York Graphics Society.

View larger image, more information and other original works of art by John Ross.

John Ross (New York City, Born, 1921): A fine contemporary printmaker, illustrator and author, John Ross studied art in New York at the Pratt Institute and at Atelier 17. A full member of the Society of American Graphic Artists, Ross has exhibited his engravings and woodcuts throughout the United States and major international expositions. He is currently represented by the Pratt Manhattan Gallery, New York.

Besides creating many fine individual works of art, such as Metropolis, Ross is also well known for his artistic collaborations with his wife, Clare Romano (b. 1922), an equally famous contemporary printmaker. Together they have illustrated many great books, such as C. W. Chesnutt's, Conjure Tales (1973). As well, Ross and Romano co-authored The Complete Printmaker (1991), which is considered to be one of the best modern books on the subject.

View larger image and more information for Ladislav Rusek's original Ex-Libris Linocut.

Ladislav Rusek (Czech Republic, Born, Olomouce): A contemporary Czech printmaker and painter, Ladislav Rusek is well known both for his ex-libris art and for his illustrations of books. In the latter category he has illustrated such books as Griechische Erinnerungen (1972). Also a comprehensive book on Rusek's art was written by Klaus Rodel in 1971 entitled, Ladislav Rusek: En czekkisk grafiker.

Ex-Libris etchings, engravings and woodcuts date all the way back to the mid fifteenth century. Their function was initially quite utilitarian as miniature prints used to signify the ownership of books. As private libraries and their owners gained more wealth and prestige, however, so did their ex-libris bookplates. Pictorial imagery became as important as the wording and titles and the finished work of art came to stand as the owner's claim to posterity. Before long, famous artists were commissioned by prominent collectors to make their ex-libris art and during the centuries such masters as Durer, Holbein, Manet, Toulouse-Lautrec and Rockwell Kent all contributed significantly to this great form of art.