Magnolia Bud 1925 ~ William Seltzer Rice ( 1873-1963 )

Magnolia Bud 1925 ~ William Seltzer Rice ( 1873-1963 ). Antique woodcut printed in colours, circa 1925 limited edition to a maximum of about 15. Signed and titled in pencil. A fine impression on thin Japanese paper. Wide margins and in wonderful condition, with some slight foxing to the border. 

The image measures 22cmx 27cm, 50cmx 60cm including the frame.

William Seltzer Rice, painter, printmaker, educator, and author was born on 23rd June 1873 in Pennsylvania. Rice was an amateur botanist and wrote a column as such for Sunset magazine. He did a number of strong colour woodcuts of floral subjects, many using the white-line method. Because of the "bleeding" of the oil in the paint/ink he often trimmed the image and collaged it to a support paper which he then signed. his editions were usually under 5 impressions, never more than 15. In 1915 Rice had a chance to study and absorb the techniques of the Japanese woodcuts that he was to incorporate into his own working knowledge of the medium. In 1918, the first major exhibition of his colour woodcuts hung at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor. Though he gained national recognition for his printmaking, Rice embodies the craftsman spirit, painting with watercolour and oil, and working in ceramics, hammered copper, and woodworking. He authored three books on the subject of block printing, including Block Prints and How to Make Them, and penned many articles on naturalist subjects.