The Patrician Women on Their Terraces
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View on museum website →Medium
lithograph (stone) in black
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1964.8.1568
Art Historical Context
**The Patrician Women on Their Terraces (1960) is a compelling black lithograph on stone by Benton Murdoch Spruance a master American printmaker (1904–1973) whose work graces the National Gallery of Art Rosenwald Collection. Created at the height of mid-20th-century printmaking innovation, this piece exemplifies Spruance's lifelong dedication to lithography, a technique he elevated through his teaching at institutions like the Moore College of Art and his approaches to form and tone. Stone lithography, as used here, allows for exceptional depth and texture—ink drawn directly onto the lithogra...
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...