JU DT ART MUSEUM

THE BOlKER COllECTIONCOLLECTORS' CHOICE

SEPTEMBER1 - OCTOBER 15,2005

GONZAGA UNIVERSITY' SPOKANE' WASHINGTON

2

3

4

SOME NOTES ONCOLLECTING PRINTS

Anything passes for art if the artist declares it is

art. In the artist's quest for originality and mean-

ing, his work may range from the ridiculous to

the sublime. We call it sublime when we look

at it and say: "This is good - this is really good."

Good art has an effect that defies analysis; the

source of that feeling must be in our psyche.

Some art has only a passing appeal, while some

has appeal for centuries. The art of collecting is

based on recognizing the difference.

We began collecting prints in 1964, when we

bought Pisa, a colored woodcut by Irving Amen,

from a traveling salesman for the Ferdinand Ro-

ten Galleries of Baltimore, Maryland. We knew

nothing about the artist, nor did we know what

a colored woodcut was, but we knew that we

liked it, and we still do. We also knew that it

was an original print, which means that an art-

ist created the image and approved the printing

process. We found prints more approachable

and intimate than oil paintings. You can hold a

print in your hand and look carefully at each line

and space; you can see more clearly what the

artist is trying to say. We were also pleased to

learn that while oil paintings by famous artists

were very expensive, prints on paper by the

same artist, even Rembrandt, were compara-

tively affordable.

Since that time we have learned about the vari-

ous processes that have been invented for making

prints on paper. We have marveled at the creativ-

ity and skill artists show in creating engravings and

etchings, aquatints and mezzotints, woodcuts,

wood engravings, lithographs, and screen prints.

We learned about paper making and its evolution

through the ages, and the need to prevent acidic

materials, such as wood pulp paper, wood, and

various kinds of tapes, from having contact with

works of art on paper. We learned how experts

can authenticate prints by determining the age of

the paper, the watermarks, the signature on the

print, and by consulting a catalogue raisonne.

Eager to learn more about the source of artistic

inspiration, we found a relationship between the

occurrence of historical events and the produc-

tion of works of art. We found that the work

of Dutch masters like Rembrandt, Lievens, and

van Ostade corresponded with prosperity in the

Netherlands after Holland won its independence

from Spain and navigational instruments were

invented that gave Dutch seamen an advan-

tage over their competitors. When Pope [ulius

II expanded papal territories, Michelangelo was

painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. When

Germany was defeated in the First World War,

German Expressionists developed a pessimistic,

bleak, and sharp edged kind of art, but America,

victorious and triumphant, blossomed in all of

the arts and sciences. Along the way we learned

about the various artistic movements, progress-

ing from the two-dimensional flatness of the fif-

teenth century woodcut to Cubism and beyond.

We were learning art history.

We began to send for sales catalogues issued by

several reputable art dealers in this country; we

subscribed to several art magazines and to auc-

tion catalogues issued by Sotheby's and Chris-

tie's. The catalogues not only showed a small

illustration of the image but also gave a detailed

description of the condition of the print and its

artistic context. We found both of these houses

to be honest and dependable in their descrip-

tions. We did not hesitate to make bids by mail

or telephone for items offered in New York City

or Los Angeles. In addition to auction purchas-

es, we bought from several dependable private

galleries.

We had only one strict rule in collecting: we

both had to approve of the purchase. This rule

helped to create a balance in the things we

chose. We continued buying prints on a regu-

lar basis, trying to get examples of outstanding

work produced over a period from the fifteenth

to the twentieth century. By the time we had

accumulated about eight hundred prints, we had

an interesting and eclectic collection.

When you own a print, you become responsi-

ble for its preservation. We believe that it is the

owner's responsibility to protect the prints so

that they will be availablefor the enjoyment and

education of future generations. A Rembrandt

etching may be nearly four centuries old and a

Durer woodcut may be five centuries old. Pres-

ervation consists of maintaining these works of

art in an acid free environment, avoiding expo-

sure to bright light and especially to ultraviolet

light and direct handcontact (wear cotton gloves

when handling them), controlling temperature

and humidity, and storing them in dust resistant

acid free museum boxes. You must insure them

againstfire, theft, and water damage.

We also kept a record of all data we could find

relating to our prints, so that the future owner

would have full knowledge of the print's prov-

enance. If you think raising children is a job, try

taking proper care of a print collection! And just

asone cannot select a favorite from among one's

5

7

6

8

children, it has been just as difficult to select "our

favorites" from our print collection for this ex-

hibit!

We enjoyed looking at our prints, and we want-

ed to share that pleasure with others, especially

with art students. The logical place for the col-

lection was Gonzaga University, to which WE

gave a substantial number in 1984. At that time

the display and storage areas were in the Ad Gal-

lery, located in the basement of the Adrninistra-

tion Building. This was not a good venue, but il

was the best Gonzaga had at that time.

After a generous gift by Jim and Joann Jundt, the

University constructed the Jundt Art Museum, a

state of the art facility for the conservation and

display of art. We were then pleased to give an

additional gift from our collection in 1995, and

the remainder of our collection in 2003. Others

have also made gifts to the Museum, creating a

wealth of examples illustrating various phases of

graphic art as it developed over the centuries.

With J. Scott Patnode as Director, we know that

the collection will be properly cared for and that

it is being used for the purposes we intended -

for art students to study and for the community

to enjoy.

Dr. Norman and Esther BolkerDonors and Guest Curators

9

10

II

12

-----------------------IMAGES-----------------------I. Ben Shahn (American. 1898-1969)

Distressed Man Study. circa 1963. ink drawing. I I 5/8"x 6 314".1984.5.249

2. Childe Hassam (American, 1859-1935)Walt Whitman's Birthplace. 1927. etching. 4 112"x 6 112".1995.22.37

3. Pablo Picasso (Spanish. 1881-1973)Young Woman, for the centenary of Mourlot, 1949 (pub.1953), lithograph and chine colle, 15 5/8"x I I 314".1995.22.87

4. Jan Lievens (Dutch. 1607-1674)St. Anthony, 1665, etching, 9 5/8"x 8".2003.29.20

5. Erich Heckel (German 1883-1970)Young Girl, from Genius 2, No. I, 1913 (pub. 1920), woodcut, 10 3/ 16"x 6 I 1/16".1995.22.39

6. Reginald Marsh (American, 1898-1954)Bread Line - No One Has Starved, 1932 (1969 Whitney Museum of American Art edition), 6 1/4"x I I 314".1984.5.196

7. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669)Jan Lutma the Elder. Goldsmith, 1656, etching and drypoint, 7 3I4"x 5 7/8".2003.29.30

8. Peter Hurd (American, 1904-1984)Dark Mountain, circa 1960, watercolor, 13 112"x 19314".1984.5.152

9. Max Pechstein (German, 1881-1955)Mannerkopf (Self-Portrait), 1918, drypoint, 6 7/8"x 5 3/8".2003.29.26

I O. Irving Amen (American, b. 1918)Pisa, 1958, woodcut, 16"x 20 112".1995.22.2

I I. Kathe Kollwitz (German, 1867-1945)Greeting, 1892, etching, 4 9/16"x 3 7/16".1995.22.52

12. John Steuart Curry (American, 1897-1946)John Brown, 1939, lithograph, 14 3/8"x 107/8".1984.5.64

(Cover)Stanley William Hayter (English, 1901-1988)

Danae, 1954, engraving, etching, soft-ground, scorper, and stencil, 16 3/16"x 12".1984.5.134

The above artworks were gifts to the permanent art collection of Gonzaga University by Dr. Norman andEsther Bolker. They established The Balker Collection in 1984. The collection currently consists of nearly750 prints, drawings, watercolors, and books. The catalogue number following the dimensions of thespecific artwork identifies the year of the donation.

This publication was funded by the Jundt Art Museum's Annual Campaign 2004-2005.© Jundt Art Museum, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA 99258-000 I