Peter
by Bertha Lum
- Date:
- 1912
- Medium:
- Color woodcut
- Dimensions:
- 27.5 × 6.7 cm
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
by Bertha Lum
$1,000–$8,000. Common subjects: $1,000–$2,500. Key value factors: Bertha Lum's status as a pioneering Western woodblock printmaker gives her work historical value. Her Art Nouveau-influenced prints are particularly sought after.
Named simply "Peter," this 1912 color woodcut likely portrays a specific individual — possibly a Western child encountered during Lum's time in Asia, given the non-Japanese name. Lum's personal life intersected with her art; she had two daughters and was attuned to the world of children and family. The portrait or figure study of a named subject represents a more intimate mode of printmaking than her landscape or folklore work, suggesting a personal connection between artist and subject. The color woodcut technique brings warmth to portraiture through its soft, absorbent interaction between pigment and paper, a quality quite different from the harder edges of oil-based printing. Lum carved and printed this herself, making each impression a direct product of her hand.
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Peter was created by Bertha Lum in 1912.
Peter depicts children and portraits.
Peter measures 27.5 × 6.7 cm.
