Torrey Pine by Gustave Baumann

Torrey Pine by Gustave Baumann

Torrey Pine

Gustave Baumann

Title

Torrey Pine

 
Artist
Year
1961  
Technique
color woodcut 
Image Size
12 x 12 7/8" image 
Signature
pencil, lower right 
Edition Size
I 4-125 
Annotations
titled, lower left; dated after edition number 
Reference
Chamberlain 189; Baumann 149 
Paper
cream Beckett wove 
State
published 
Publisher
artist 
Inventory ID
AB635 
Price
SOLD
Description

"Torrey Pine"is among Baumann's final color woodcuts. Despite being 80 years old, the imagery shows his mastery of his medium. The gray background block is intricately carved allowing negative space to shape the branches and needles of the open-crowned Torrey pine. Black needles and blue cones combine adding decorative clusters in the foreground. The trees are ornamental by nature but Baumann's rendering created one of his most elegant woodcuts.

Baumann made seven auto trips to California driving up the coastline from San Diego. The 1,750-acre Torrey Pines Natural Reserve lies within the city limits of San Diego. The reserve is dedicated to preserving the Torrey pine, which originated in Mexico and is now considered America's rarest pine, as it grows only in this reserve and on Santa Rosa Island, off the coast of Santa Barbara.