Mary Baker Eddy (1924)

Ernest Haskell prints range from bold Gilded Age posters to some of the most delicate etchings in American art. Haskell was an illustrator, poster designer and printmaker, internationally famous in his lifetime, and his etchings of windswept cypresses, Maine harbors and quiet woodlands are his greatest achievement. This collection gathers art prints of his landscapes and tree studies, theater and magazine posters, portraits and bookplates.

About Ernest Haskell

Ernest Haskell was born on 30 June 1876 in Woodstock, Connecticut, and grew up on the family farm. While recovering from typhoid fever as a teenager he passed the time drawing, and instead of taking up a football scholarship at Yale he went to work as an illustrator for the New York American, largely self-taught.

Over the next decade he made three long study trips to Paris, briefly enrolling at the Académie Julian before devising his own course of study. He became a friend and protégé of James McNeill Whistler, who taught him etching. Back in New York in the late 1890s he became a pioneer of theatrical and magazine posters, for Scribner's, Collier's and Truth, and portrayed stars such as Minnie Maddern Fiske and Maude Adams.

In 1903 he married the writer Elizabeth Louise Foley, and in 1906 they bought a farmhouse at Phippsburg on the coast of Maine. During the First World War he helped develop camouflage painting for the US Army. After his wife died in the 1918 flu pandemic, he spent time in northern California, etching its trees and coast. He died in a car accident near his Maine home on 1 November 1925.

Style and Subjects

Haskell's posters of the 1890s are bold and graphic, with strong outlines and flat color, typical of the American poster craze of the time. His portraits and caricatures of actors and public figures are quick and witty.

His etchings, which critics consider his most important work, are quite different: fine, precise lines that capture the twisted shapes of Monterey cypresses, giant redwoods, willows, tidal pathways and quiet harbors in Maine. They are intimate, detailed and full of light and air, showing what he learned from Whistler.

Famous Works

• Truth for Xmas '96 (1896). A magazine poster from the height of the American poster craze.
• Mrs. Fiske, Becky Sharp (1899). His famous poster of the actress Minnie Maddern Fiske.
• Maude Adams as Juliet (1899), Hunterian Art Gallery, Glasgow. A portrait of the stage star in her Shakespearean role.
• General Sherman (1900–1925). An etching of one of California's giant sequoias.
• Ghost Cypress (1914–1925). A windswept cypress on the California coast, among his finest etchings.
• Ex Libris Russell Perkins (1914), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. One of his finely etched bookplates.

Decorating with Haskell Prints

Haskell's delicate tree and landscape etchings suit a study, bedroom or reading corner, where they can be seen up close. Their fine black lines look beautiful with wide white mats and thin black or natural wood frames, and work well in groups of two or three.

His bold theater and magazine posters bring Gilded Age style to a living room, hallway or home office, and his Maine harbor views fit a coastal-style home.

FAQ

What kind of artist was Ernest Haskell?

Haskell was an American illustrator, poster designer and printmaker. He was internationally famous in his lifetime, and his etchings are considered his most important work.

What is Ernest Haskell best known for?

He is best known for his delicate etchings of trees and landscapes, especially California cypresses and the coast of Maine, and for his pioneering theater and magazine posters of the 1890s.

Where can I see Haskell's original work?

His prints and drawings are in many museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Hunterian Art Gallery at the University of Glasgow.

How can you recognize an Ernest Haskell etching?

Look for fine, precise lines, twisting tree forms, open skies and quiet coastal or woodland scenes, with plenty of white space and a sense of light.

What was Haskell's connection to Whistler?

Haskell was a friend and protégé of James McNeill Whistler in Paris, and Whistler taught him to make etchings. Haskell also made several caricatures of Whistler.

Related Artists

• James McNeill Whistler — his friend and mentor, who taught him etching
• Edward Penfield — fellow pioneer of the American magazine poster
• Joseph Pennell — American etcher and Whistler admirer of the same generation
• Arthur Wesley Dow — American printmaker and poster artist of the same era
• Childe Hassam — American painter and etcher of the same period