Busacca Gallery

Moishe Smith has created a powerful image in this etching of the Italian landscape, showcasing his naturalistic realism style that interprets the scene for the viewer. The artwork is signed by the artist and titled "Tuscany," dated 1968, and it is a landscape etching created by the printmaker. This particular edition is limited to 150 impressions and comes framed under glass. The artwork measures 13 1/2" X 21" with a sheet size of 19 3/8" X 25". Moishe Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1929 and was known for his printmaking skills and naturalistic realism style. He passed away in Logan, Utah in 1993. Smith earned his BA at the New School of Social Research in 1950 and his MFA at the University of Iowa, where he was instructed by Mauricio Lasansky. He also studied at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in the summers of 1949 and 1950, as well as at the Accademia Florence, where he was influenced by Giorgio Morandi. Smith was recognized for his talent and received several prestigious awards, including a Fulbright Fellowship in 1959-60 and a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship in 1967-68. He taught at various universities, including the University of Southern Illinois and the University of Ohio, before joining Utah State University in 1977. His works, such as the intaglio print "Three Men in an Olive Tree" (1984), which won the Cannon Award at the National Academy of Design, showcase his artistic prowess. Other notable works by Smith include "Twilight in Amsterdam," an intaglio print, and "Peasant Food," a monoprint. "Jewish Cemetery, Prague" (1980), an intaglio print, is also featured in the permanent collection of the Springville Museum of Art.

Copper art print etching, also known as copperplate etching or simply etching, is a printmaking technique that has been used for centuries to create detailed and intricate images on paper. The history of copper art print etching can be traced back to the late Middle Ages and has evolved over time to become a widely used method of printmaking in the art world. Etching involves the process of creating an image on a copper plate by coating it with a layer of acid-resistant material, such as wax or resin. The artist then scratches the image onto the plate with a needle or another sharp tool, exposing the copper underneath. The plate is then submerged in an acid bath, which eats away at the exposed copper, creating grooves or lines that hold the ink for printing. The remaining acid-resistant material is removed, and the plate is inked, wiped clean, and pressed onto paper to create a print. The technique of copperplate etching gained popularity during the Renaissance in Europe and was widely used by artists such as Rembrandt, Francisco Goya, and James Whistler. It allowed artists to create fine details, texture, and tone in their prints, making it a favored method for creating intricate and expressive images. With the advent of modern printmaking techniques, copper art print etching has continued to evolve, with artists experimenting with different materials, tools, and methods to create unique and innovative prints. Today, etching remains a popular form of printmaking, appreciated for its rich history, versatility, and the unique qualities it brings to printed images.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engraving

Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold or steel are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing images on paper, which are called engravings. Engraving was a historically important method of producing images on paper, both in artistic printmaking, and also for commercial reproductions and illustrations for books and magazines. It has long been replaced by photography in its commercial applications and, partly because of the difficulty of learning the technique, is much less common in printmaking, where it has been largely replaced by etching and other techniques. Other terms often used for engravings are copper-plate engraving and Line engraving. These should all mean exactly the same, but especially in the past were often used very loosely to cover several printmaking techniques, so that many so-called engravings were in fact produced by totally different techniques, such as etching.