“Second Light,” Ruth Leaf, HC intaglio etching, 30×28 in., signed, an atmospheric circular landscape by a pioneering American printmaker.

“Second Light” is an original hand-pulled intaglio etching by pioneering American printmaker Ruth Leaf (1923–2015), signed in pencil and designated HC (Hors Commerce) — a rare artist’s proof reserved for the artist and never intended for commercial sale.

This dramatic circular panorama, rendered with Leaf’s masterful sensitivity to line and tonal variation, reveals the intricately carved canyon below and a distant, quiet horizon above. The piece displays her signature approach: a deep engagement with landscape, abstraction, structure, and refined intaglio technique.

Acquired from the retired Mitch Morse Gallery, NYC, this print remains unframed, never displayed, and in excellent vintage condition — a superb, scarce example of Leaf’s mature work.

Artwork Description

“Second Light” exemplifies Leaf’s command of traditional intaglio processes fused with a modernist sensibility. The circular “tondo” format highlights her interest in symbolic geometry and the cyclical structure of nature. The etched details — geological folds, eroded textures, shimmering passageways of light — read almost like illuminated maps.

Her lines move between descriptive and abstract, capturing both the physicality of canyon terrain and the emotional architecture of memory, time, and natural forces. Leaf’s printmaking practice, shaped by her studies at Atelier 17 under Stanley William Hayter, is evident here in her experimental approach to line quality, plate tone, and spatial compression.

As an HC impression, this print is exceptionally desirable: these proofs are fewer than editioned impressions and signify prints selected by the artist herself.

BIOGRAPHY — RUTH LEAF (1923–2015)

Ruth Leaf was an influential American printmaker, educator, and author whose career helped usher intaglio printmaking into the modern American studio art landscape. Born in Brighton Beach, New York, Leaf was captivated early by the structure of the urban environment and the visual rhythms of nature — inspirations that resonated throughout her lifelong exploration of etching, engraving, solar printing, monoprints, and mixed-media processes.

Education & Training

Leaf’s technical foundation was exceptional. She studied at:

• The Art Students League of New York

• The New School for Social Research (NYC)

• Brooklyn College

• American Artists School (NYC)

• Pratt Graphics Center (NYC)

• Atelier 17, the groundbreaking printmaking studio led by Stanley William Hayter — a formative experience that shaped her experimental, process-driven approach to intaglio.

Career, Exhibitions & Influence

Leaf’s work was exhibited extensively throughout the United States and internationally, including:

• Library of Congress

• Carnegie Institute

• Butler Institute of American Art

• Brooklyn Museum

• Seattle Art Museum

• Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts

• Los Angeles County Museum of Art

• Chiba Shimin Gallery (Japan)

• Galerie Art & Gravure (Paris)

• Art in Embassies Program

• Viridian Gallery, Roko Gallery, FAR Gallery (NYC)

• Great Neck Library, NY (Retrospective Monoprint Exhibition)

• Universities across the United States

Her exhibitions spanned more than five decades, culminating in retrospectives that celebrated the range and innovation of her printmaking.

Teaching & Leadership

Leaf was widely respected as an educator. She taught or lectured at:

• Ruth Leaf Studio (Founder & Director)

• North Shore Community Art Center

• Colby College (Consultant)

• Numerous institutions offering monoprint and intaglio demonstrations

Through her studio in Long Island and her national workshops, she influenced generations of printmakers, many of whom credit her with their introductions to intaglio technique.

Publications

Leaf authored the widely used instructional text:

• Etching, Engraving and Other Intaglio Printmaking Techniques (Watson-Guptill, 1976)
  A foundational manual still referenced by artists and university programs today.

She is also cited in:

• American Prize Prints of the 20th Century

• Artists at Work

• Dictionary of International Biography

• Who’s Who in American Art

• Who’s Who in the East

• Who’s Who in American Women

Collections

Her work can be found in:

• Library of Congress

• Butler Institute of American Art

• Brooklyn Museum

• Hofstra University

• Queens College (NY)

• Portland Museum (OR)

• Colgate University (NY)

• Bowdoin College (ME)

• New York University

• Teachers College, Columbia University

• United States Information Agency
  and many corporate and private collections.

Awards

Leaf received numerous honors, including:

• Library of Congress Purchase Award

• Hofstra University Purchase Award

• Nassau Community College Purchase Award

• North Shore Community Arts Center — First Prize in Graphics

• Tonner Award, American Color Print Society

• Audubon Artists — Silver Medal for Creative Graphics

• Multiple juried-show honors for creativity and technical achievement

Artistic Statement

Leaf believed abstraction allowed her to capture “the essence of things rather than reproducing what I saw.” Her work blends emotion, structure, design, and intuitive mark-making, creating prints that invite viewers to form their own interpretations — much like listening to music without needing to know the composer’s intent.

Ruth Leaf, Second Light, c.1970s–80s. Intaglio etching, circular composition, 30 × 28 in. (image 23 in.). Signed and marked HC. A rare artist’s proof by a major American printmaker with extensive museum presence and international exhibition history.

Artist: Ruth Leaf (1923–2015)
Title: Second Light
Date: c.1970s–80s
Medium: Hand-pulled intaglio etching
Edition: HC (Hors Commerce) — rare artist’s proof
Size: 30 × 28 in. (Image 23 in.)
Signature: Pencil-signed
Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery → Artfind Gallery
Condition: Excellent, never framed or displayed
Notes: HC proofs are scarcer than editioned prints; Leaf’s work is held in major American museums.

Provenance Chain

Artist → Ruth Leaf Studio → Mitch Morse Gallery (NYC, European & international acquisitions) → Artfind Gallery, Washington, D.C.