Peter

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.