Seated Woman
1919-1920
Medium
woodcut in black on laid paper
Dimensions
image: 5.1 x 4.4 cm (2 x 1 3/4 in.) sheet: 25.4 x 16.5 cm (10 x 6 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Jack and Margrit Vanderryn
Accession Number
1997.128.12.1
Art Historical Context
**Seated Woman** by Max Weber, created between 1919 and 1920, captures the modernist spirit of the early 20th century in compact woodcut printed in black ink on laid paper. Russian-born American artist Max Weber (1881–1) was a key figure in New York's avant-garde scene, influenced by Cubism, Synchromism, and Jewish folk art traditions. Having exhibited with pioneers like Alfred Stiegl, Weber transitioned from vibrant paintings to the stark contrasts of printmaking after World War I, reflecting a period of artistic experimentation amid social upheaval. This intimate work features a 5.1 x 4.4 c...
About the Artist
Max Weber
Max Weber (1881–1961), born in Białystok in the Russian Empire (now Poland) to Orthodox Jewish parents, immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, at age ten with his family, joining his tailor father.) There, he pursued art studies at the Pratt Institute under Arthur Wesley Dow, an innovative teacher who emphasized expression and form over traditional narrative, drawing from Japanese art and Paul Gauguin....