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The Stone Mason by Joseph Anthony Mugnaini

The Stone Mason by Joseph Anthony Mugnaini

The Stone Mason

Joseph Anthony Mugnaini

Title

The Stone Mason

 
Artist

Joseph Anthony Mugnaini

  1912 - 1992 (biography)
Year
1954  
Technique
lithograph 
Image Size
15 13/16 x 8 1/16" image size 
Signature
pencil, lower right 
Edition Size
inscribed 18; probably from an edition of 35 
Annotations
pencil titled, numbered, and dated 
Reference
Acton, Proof: The Rise of Printmaking in Southern California, plate 58 
Paper
ivory wove 
State
published 
Publisher
artist 
Inventory ID
23521 
Price
SOLD
Description
The Stone Mason is illustrated on page 74 in Proof: The Rise of Printmaking in Southern California. In his essay for this book David Acton describes Mugnaini's process: Mugnaini prepared the stone entirely with liquid tusche, which was unusual for Kistler's collaborators. His extraordinary drawings skills are apparent in the way that he worked reductively, pulling the image out of darkness. After blocking in his composition with dense pigment, he modeled form by working on the printing surface with brush and cloth, leaving modulating striations. He wiped away the tusche for lighted areas, and created accents by lifting away lines with knife- or needlepoint.