Alone
c. 1937
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
etching on wove paper
Dimensions
plate: 12.7 x 17.8 cm (5 x 7 in.) sheet: 20.3 x 29.2 cm (8 x 11 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen in honor of the artist's 90th birthday
Accession Number
1999.82.44
Art Historical Context
**Alone** by Jacob Kainen, created around 1937, is a poignant etching on wove paper measuring 5 x 7 inches on the plate. This intimate print captures a sense of isolation evoked by its evocative title, rendered through the precise lines of etching—a technique where acid etches intricate designs into a metal plate allowing for rich tonal contrasts and subtle textures when inked and pressed onto smooth wove paper. Kainen, an American artist active during the Great Depression era, produced this work amid a surge in printmaking that made art accessible to everyday people. In the 1930s, prints lik...
About the Artist
Jacob Kainen
Jacob Kainen was born on December 7, 1909, in Waterbury, Connecticut, to Russian immigrant parents who nurtured his cultural interests; his father was an inventor, and his mother instilled a love of music and literature. The family relocated to New York City in 1918, where Kainen immersed himself in art through newspaper clippings and visits to the Metropolitan Museum. After graduating from DeWitt...