Guardian of the Border
1929
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
wood engraving in black on wove paper
Dimensions
image: 19.05 × 15.08 cm (7 1/2 × 5 15/16 in.) sheet: 29.53 × 22.86 cm (11 5/8 × 9 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Gift of P. Frederick Albee in honor of my late wife, Helen P. Albee)
Accession Number
2015.19.3125
Art Historical Context
Grace Albee's *Guardian of the Border*1929) is a striking wood engraving on wove paper, showcasing the artist's mastery of one of printmaking's most demanding techniques. Created on the eve of the Great Depression, intimate image—measuring just 19.05 × 15.08 cm—captures Albee's precision in carving fine lines into the end grain of wood blocks, producing crisp contrasts of deep black ink against the paper's smooth surface. Wood engraving, revived in the early 20th century by American artists like Albee, allowed for jewel-like detail rivaling metal engraving, making it ideal for evocative vignet...