Works on Paper

Graphic arts have been an important part of Philbrook's collecting program from the beginning, due in no small part to the renaissance in printmaking and print collecting throughout America in the 1930s. Lithography, traditionally scorned as a commercial technique, was given legitimacy through the work of such artists as George Bellows, while etching, engraving and other print media were siezed upon by artists eager to experiment.

An entirely new audience for prints was also developing, as the elitism of 19th-century collecting gave way to the populism of contemporary art clubs aimed at bringing fine art into the homes of everyone. This affordable original art also served the needs of a young museum, enabling Philbrook to acquire work by important artists of the day as prints and drawings figured prominently in the museum's early collecting program.

Martin Lewis, American, 1881-1962
Relics, 1928
Etching with drypoint on laid paper
1947.13.3