Jeanne in a Seminole Blouse
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View on museum website →Medium
lithograph in tan and black with watercolor [trial proof]
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1951.10.182
Art Historical Context
"Jeanne in a Semin Blouse" is a 1948 lithograph Benton Murdoch Spruance, innovative American printmaker renowned for his lyrical color lithography. Created as a trial proof—a rare experimental version before the final edition—this work combines tan and black inks with delicate watercolor enhancements, showcasing Spruance's mastery in blending printmaking precision with painterly freedom. Housed in the National Gallery Art's Rosenwald Collection it exemplifies mid-20th-century American print artistry during a postwar era when lithography flourished as an accessible yet expressive medium. Sprua...
About the Artist
Benton Murdoch Spruance
Benton Murdoch Spruance (1904–1967) was a Philadelphia native whose artistic journey began amid the city's architectural landscape. Born on June 25, 1904, he initially worked as a clerk in an architect's office while studying architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, where he taught himself graphic sketching. A scholarship brought him to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), foll...