Grover Cleveland II
1899
Medium
Etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image/plate: 22.3 × 17.4 cm (8 13/16 × 6 7/8 in.); Sheet: 32.5 × 25.3 cm (12 13/16 × 10 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
55371
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Anders Zorn’s 1899 etching “Grover Cleveland II” presents a striking portrait of the former U.S. president, rendered with the Swedish artist’s characteristic economy of line and sensitive handling of light. Created just two years after Cleveland left office, the print reflects Zorn’s international reputation for capturing prominent political and cultural figures during his travels in Europe and America. Executed on ivory laid paper, the work demonstrates the expressive possibilities of etching, a medium that allowed Zorn to achieve rich tonal contrasts and fine textural details through carefully controlled acid bites and drypoint accents. The modest plate size invites close viewing, rewarding the observer with subtle modeling of the sitter’s features and clothing. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Prints and Drawings department, this impression underscores the enduring appeal of etched portraiture at the turn of the twentieth century, when the technique bridged traditional printmaking and modern artistic expression.
About the Artist
Anders Zorn · 1860–1920
Anders Zorn (1860–1920), one of Sweden's most celebrated artists, was born on February 18 in Utmeland near Mora in Dalarna, and raised on his maternal grandparents' farm in the nearby hamlet of Yvraden. Displaying prodigious talent from a young age, he attended school in Mora Strand until age twelve, followed by secondary grammar school in Enköping, where he excelled in drawing people and horses. ...