JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992) Buildings (Grain

JAMES LESESNE WELLS (1902 - 1992)

Buildings (Grain Elevator) .

Linoleum cut on thin cream wove paper, circa 1929. 670x219 mm; 10x8 inches, full margins.Buildings is a scarce example of early printmaking from the Harlem Renaissance era by James Lesesne Wells. The beginning of his career as a printmaker is characterized by his mastery of block prints. With his innovative prints like Workmen, The Negro Wage Earner and Builders, Wells portrayed the everyday experiences of workers in bold, graphic compositions, popularizing urban subjects well before the WPA era. Wells also was very successful in having these works published widely, including leading black periodicals The Crisis and Opportunity.