Lord Riddell of Walton Heath

Art Historical Context

**Lord Riddell of Walton Heath is a striking drypoint portrait etched by American artist Walter Tittle in1921. Capturing the dignified likeness of Lord Riddell, prominent British figure associated with Walton Heath this print exemplifies Tittle's skill in rendering notable personalities of the early 20th. Created in the interwar period, reflects an era when portraiture celebrated influential leaders and aristocrats, preserving their presence through intimate artistic interpretation. Drypoint, Tittle's favored medium here, involves scratching directly into a copper plate with a sharp tool, raising a soft burr that produces rich, velvety black lines upon printing. This technique allows for spontaneous, expressive marks unlike the precise lines of traditional etching, making it ideal for capturing subtle textures like fabric folds or facial contours. At 30.48 × 25.4 cm, the plate size invites close viewing, emphasizing the tactile quality of the black ink on paper. Now housed in the National Gallery of Art's print collection (Department CG-W), the work was a thoughtful gift from Mrs. Walter Tittle, underscoring its personal significance. Tittle's drypoints, including this one, highlight the artistry of printmaking as an accessible yet sophisticated medium, bridging fine art and portraiture for admirers of early modernist techniques.

About the Artist

Walter Tittle · 1883–1966

Walter Tittle was an American illustrator, portraitist, and printmaker who built a distinguished career in the early decades of the twentieth century, working across the overlapping worlds of magazine illustration, literary portraiture, and fine art printmaking. Born in Springfield, Ohio, he studied at the Art Students League of New York, an institution that provided rigorous training in drawing a...