Pirates’ Light is a 9×14-inch intaglio relief etching by mid-century American printmaker Al Kaufman, depicting a dramatic lighthouse, rising sun, and quiet shoreline rendered in warm sepia tone and crisp white relief. Signed and numbered 164/350, the work showcases Kaufman’s refined etching technique and storytelling sensibility — capturing a nostalgic, cinematic vision of coastal life. With documented family provenance and strong collector interest in Kaufman’s contemplative landscapes, Pirates’ Light is a standout example of his 1970s printmaking mastery.
In Pirates’ Light, Al Kaufman transforms a coastal scene into a stylized narrative tableau. The tall lighthouse, illuminated by a rising sun bursting into radiating stripes, anchors the composition. Surrounding it are rustic structures, a quiet inlet, a moored boat, and distant silhouettes — all defined by Kaufman’s signature interplay of etched plate tone and untouched white paper.
The sepia-brown field establishes warmth and nostalgia, while the untouched white forms create high contrast and crisp silhouette work. Kaufman’s etched lines — likely a combination of line bite, soft ground, and resist techniques — add texture to the shore, wood grain to the boat, and atmosphere to the sky. The dramatic sunbeams serve as the emotional centerpiece, echoing the theatrical style that appears in his other sunrise-themed prints.
Like Sun-Up, this work is intimate, handcrafted, and contemplative, offering both scenic charm and mid-century modern graphic sensibility. Signed “Al Kaufman” and numbered 164/350, it stands as a strong example of Kaufman’s Rockland County studio output.
Al (Albert) Kaufman (1928–2005) was an American printmaker born in Brooklyn, NY, to a family steeped in the printing trade. Largely self-taught, he developed early interest in drawing and printmaking, later turning fully to fine art after losing his job to industrial automation — a turning point documented by his daughter, Heather Kaufman:
“My father was eventually laid off as everything became automated. He began painting at home. My step-mother gathered his work one day and brought them to an art gallery in Nyack, New York, and they held an opening of his work. He was really mad — but I believe most of his work sold immediately. He then began with the intaglios, and did his own matting and framing at home. He also perfected the characters in Jungle Book (6) as an outside vendor for Disney.”
This testimony reveals the authentic, unexpected origins of Kaufman’s career — and confirms his personal, artisanal approach to printmaking. Working from his home studio in Tallman and later New City in Rockland County, he operated a vintage hand-press, creating limited-edition intaglios, aquatints, and relief etchings known for their warm palettes, quiet emotional clarity, and refined craftsmanship.
His subjects — trees, water, boats, lighthouses, and dawn skies — reflect a meditative and nostalgic sensibility. Though never formally tied to major galleries or institutions, Kaufman’s prints remain beloved among collectors of mid-century American graphics. He passed away in 2005, leaving a body of work defined by technical finesse and heartfelt simplicity.
Al Kaufman (1928–2005), “Pirates’ Light,” 1970s intaglio relief etching, 9×14 in., pencil-signed and numbered 164/350. Warm brown plate tone with crisp white relief silhouette work; lighthouse, sunrise, shoreline, and boat motif. Excellent condition with strong impression. Documented family provenance.
ARTFIND GALLERY — CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Al (Albert) Kaufman
Title: Pirates’ Light
Medium: Intaglio Relief Etching on Paper
Dimensions: 9 × 14 inches
Edition: 164/350
Signature: Pencil-signed lower right
Date: 1970s
Condition: Excellent — clean impressions, no foxing or staining, strong plate tone.
Includes firsthand testimony from Heather Kaufman documenting:
Artist’s transition into fine art
Early Nyack gallery debut
Home-based presswork, matting, and framing
Disney outside-vendor contribution during The Jungle Book production
Artist’s Studio, Tallman / New City, NY — c.1970s
Gallery or Private Acquisition, NYC
Private Collector, New York
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC (Current Owner)
Pirates’ Light is a 9×14-inch intaglio relief etching by mid-century American printmaker Al Kaufman, depicting a dramatic lighthouse, rising sun, and quiet shoreline rendered in warm sepia tone and crisp white relief. Signed and numbered 164/350, the work showcases Kaufman’s refined etching technique and storytelling sensibility — capturing a nostalgic, cinematic vision of coastal life. With documented family provenance and strong collector interest in Kaufman’s contemplative landscapes, Pirates’ Light is a standout example of his 1970s printmaking mastery.
In Pirates’ Light, Al Kaufman transforms a coastal scene into a stylized narrative tableau. The tall lighthouse, illuminated by a rising sun bursting into radiating stripes, anchors the composition. Surrounding it are rustic structures, a quiet inlet, a moored boat, and distant silhouettes — all defined by Kaufman’s signature interplay of etched plate tone and untouched white paper.
The sepia-brown field establishes warmth and nostalgia, while the untouched white forms create high contrast and crisp silhouette work. Kaufman’s etched lines — likely a combination of line bite, soft ground, and resist techniques — add texture to the shore, wood grain to the boat, and atmosphere to the sky. The dramatic sunbeams serve as the emotional centerpiece, echoing the theatrical style that appears in his other sunrise-themed prints.
Like Sun-Up, this work is intimate, handcrafted, and contemplative, offering both scenic charm and mid-century modern graphic sensibility. Signed “Al Kaufman” and numbered 164/350, it stands as a strong example of Kaufman’s Rockland County studio output.
Al (Albert) Kaufman (1928–2005) was an American printmaker born in Brooklyn, NY, to a family steeped in the printing trade. Largely self-taught, he developed early interest in drawing and printmaking, later turning fully to fine art after losing his job to industrial automation — a turning point documented by his daughter, Heather Kaufman:
“My father was eventually laid off as everything became automated. He began painting at home. My step-mother gathered his work one day and brought them to an art gallery in Nyack, New York, and they held an opening of his work. He was really mad — but I believe most of his work sold immediately. He then began with the intaglios, and did his own matting and framing at home. He also perfected the characters in Jungle Book (6) as an outside vendor for Disney.”
This testimony reveals the authentic, unexpected origins of Kaufman’s career — and confirms his personal, artisanal approach to printmaking. Working from his home studio in Tallman and later New City in Rockland County, he operated a vintage hand-press, creating limited-edition intaglios, aquatints, and relief etchings known for their warm palettes, quiet emotional clarity, and refined craftsmanship.
His subjects — trees, water, boats, lighthouses, and dawn skies — reflect a meditative and nostalgic sensibility. Though never formally tied to major galleries or institutions, Kaufman’s prints remain beloved among collectors of mid-century American graphics. He passed away in 2005, leaving a body of work defined by technical finesse and heartfelt simplicity.
Al Kaufman (1928–2005), “Pirates’ Light,” 1970s intaglio relief etching, 9×14 in., pencil-signed and numbered 164/350. Warm brown plate tone with crisp white relief silhouette work; lighthouse, sunrise, shoreline, and boat motif. Excellent condition with strong impression. Documented family provenance.
ARTFIND GALLERY — CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Al (Albert) Kaufman
Title: Pirates’ Light
Medium: Intaglio Relief Etching on Paper
Dimensions: 9 × 14 inches
Edition: 164/350
Signature: Pencil-signed lower right
Date: 1970s
Condition: Excellent — clean impressions, no foxing or staining, strong plate tone.
Includes firsthand testimony from Heather Kaufman documenting:
Artist’s transition into fine art
Early Nyack gallery debut
Home-based presswork, matting, and framing
Disney outside-vendor contribution during The Jungle Book production
Artist’s Studio, Tallman / New City, NY — c.1970s
Gallery or Private Acquisition, NYC
Private Collector, New York
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC (Current Owner)
