Ernest Haskell (1876-1925)
Country Road
Etching, Edition 48, 1923, 10 ¾" x 5 ¼"

Ernest Haskell (1876-1925) was an internationally renowned printmaker, known for his etchings, illustrations, and engravings. Largely self-taught, he made several extended trips to Paris in the late 19th century to sharpen his skills and learn more about his craft. For a period he was the protégé of famed artist James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903), who taught him how to make etchings. Upon his return to New York, and using the techniques he learned in Paris, Haskell became prominent in the field of theatrical posters. Among his subjects were the theater actors Helen Hayes and Ethel Barrymore, and he created the famous images that promoted the first production of Peter Pan. He later served in World War I in the Camouflage Unit where he was one of the artists who developed camouflage painting for the United States Army to help disguise battleships and to use on soldiers' uniforms. If it were not for his untimely death in a car accident in Maine, Haskell would undoubtedly be considered one of America's finest artists. Haskell's work is in the collections of institutions around the world including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum.