Lynd Ward Woodcut "Religion and Labor," Circa 1948

Item Details

Lynd Kendall Ward (American, 1905 – 1985)
Religion and Labor, circa 1948
Woodcut on paper with letterpress type
Unsigned

Lynd Kendall Ward was born in Chicago in 1905 as the second of three children. Shortly after his birth, Ward developed tuberculosis and his family temporarily relocated to Canada for his treatment. Upon returning to Illinois, his parents decided to move out of the city to the suburb of Oak Park for Ward’s health. As a young child he was quickly drawn to illustration, and became the editor of the school newspaper and yearbook in high school. In 1922, Ward was accepted into Columbia Teacher’s College in New York where he pursued fine arts. In 1926, Ward graduated and married May Yonge McNeer, and together they moved to Europe. Ward joined a one-year education program at the National Academy of Graphic Arts and Bookmaking in Leipzig, Germany. There he learned printmaking techniques such as etching, lithography, and wood engraving. During his time in Leipzig, Ward became strongly inspired by the wordless novels of Frans Masereel and Otto Nückel. In 1927, Ward and McNeer moved back to New York where he worked on multiple commissions for book prints, until he was inspired to create his own wordless novel. God’s Man was published in 1929 as the first American wordless novel. Ward became a successful printmaker and founded his own publication in 1932, the Equinox Cooperative Press. Ward passed away from Alzheimer’s Disease in 1985, but continued to receive many awards for his work and inspired a new generation of American graphic artists.

Condition

- creasing to the lower left corner; slight foxing to the lower edge of the sheet; handling wear to edges.

Dimensions

- measures sheet; image measures 9.0” W x 4.25” H.

Item #

ITMGJ09914