"The Red Scow" by Blanche Lazzell, Amer., (1878-1956)

Charcoal Drawing, 1931, 12-1/8 x 13-7/8 on thin grayish wove tracing paper, the entire sheet measuring 13-7/8 x 17 at widest, tack and staple holes mostly to margin corners with small nicks to edges of top and upper side margins, signed & dated by the artist in fine black ink in image at lower left, with a ruled charcoal border,  small area of brown stain lower margin right of center, a couple of spots in image above, some slight toning at sheet edges. Contour lines traced in pencil verso for transfer to the block. Lazzell's cubist Provincetown compositions can be masterpieces of pictoral tension, as seen here, with the slightly divergent perspective of the scow tightly locked between the two beached boats, tree and houses. This is the finished preparatory drawing for Lazzell's celebrated white line color woodcut "The Red Scow". Purchased from the artist's estate, and available along with two other preparatory drawings conceived for a trio of her finest white line color woodcuts. These important drawings by Blanche Lazzell  are offered here for the first time in over thirty years.