Drypoint Zeta [special proof]
started 1980, published 1981
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
drypoint and roulette on Arches Cover wove paper [special proof]
Dimensions
plate: 17.5 x 7.6 cm (6 7/8 x 3 in.) sheet: 34.3 x 22.9 cm (13 1/2 x 9 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Gemini G.E.L. and the Artist
Accession Number
1981.5.4
Art Historical Context
Ronald Davis's *Drypoint Zeta [special proof]* (started 1980, published1981) is a example of late 20th-century printmaking innovation. This intimate print, measuring just 17.5 x 7.6 cm on the plate, showcases Davis's mastery of geometric abstraction. Created on luxurious Arches Cover wove paper, it belongs to a special proof category—unique trial impressions prized by collectors for their experimental qualities and subtle variations from the final edition. The work employs drypoint, a direct intaglio technique where Davis scratched into the metal plate with a sharp tool, raising a soft burr t...
About the Artist
Ronald Davis
Ronald Davis (born 1937) is an American abstract painter associated with the hard-edge and lyrical abstraction movements that flourished on the West Coast of the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. Coming of age artistically in California, Davis was part of a generation of artists who developed a distinctive alternative to the dominant New York scene, embracing formal experimentation and a c...