Florida Flowers

The brilliant colors and abstract forms in Florida Flowers are characteristic of Lazzell’s white-line color woodcuts. Developed in Provincetown in 1915, this process simplifies traditional woodblock printing (cutting and printing a separate block for each color) to the use of one block, with a groove cut to separate the colors. When printed, the grooves read as a white line, as seen in this beautiful impression. Color—usually watercolor—is added by hand. An inscription on the frame indicates that this is the first—and perhaps only—impression she pulled of this print.The Johnson’s collection of early twentieth-century American and British color woodcuts provides a comprehensive overview of the artists and fascinating variety of techniques pioneered by these modernist printmakers. In addition to individual prints, the collection holds many important woodblocks by pioneers of the medium including Arthur Wesley Dow. Color woodblock prints are a particular expertise of curator Nancy Green, who has focused on developing this area of the collection during her three-decade tenure at the Johnson. (“Highlights from the Collection: 45 Years at the Johnson,” curated by Stephanie Wiles and presented at the Johnson Museum January 27–July 22, 2018)