“SUN-UP,” Al Kaufman (1928–2005), 9×15 in. intaglio relief etching, signed and numbered 94/350.
“SUN-UP” by Al Kaufman is a serene 9″×15″ intaglio relief etching from the 1970s, numbered 94/350 and pencil-signed. The print features a stylized tree over a tranquil landscape in warm brown and white tones, evoking the first light of dawn and a quiet, meditative mood. A fine example of Kaufman’s mastery of tonal etching and relief technique, “SUN-UP” appeals to collectors of mid-century American printmaking and contemplative landscape art.
Artwork Description
“SUN-UP” exemplifies Al Kaufman’s delicate and disciplined approach to intaglio relief etching. Executed on paper in a 9 x 15 inch format, the piece depicts a solitary, stylized tree in white relief against a warm brown field — its branches spreading gracefully, leaves simplified into rhythmic patterns, and the ground suggested by subtle textural hints rather than explicit detail.
The relief is crisply incised, with fine linework defining trunk and branches, and smooth tonal gradations rendered in the brown background, perhaps via aquatint or soft-ground etching. The white of the paper forms the tree and foreground silhouettes, creating a striking contrast and a sense of immediate light — fitting the title “SUN-UP.” The composition evokes East-Asian aesthetic sensibilities, reminiscent of woodblock or sumi-inspired landscapes, though executed in Western intaglio technique.
Pencil signature (“Al Kaufman”) lower right, edition number “94/350” lower left, and the title “SUN-UP” inscribed in pencil center under image. The edition size suggests mid-1970s production, consistent with other works attributed to Kaufman during that era.
Collectors value “SUN-UP” for its quiet elegance, tonal subtlety, and balanced composition — a meditative landscape captured through refined printmaking.
Biography: Al Kaufman (1928–2005)
Name: Al (Albert) Kaufman
Born: May 28, 1928, Brooklyn, New York
Died: November 25, 2005, New City, Rockland County, New York (aged 77), from complications related to lupus.
Albert “Al” Kaufman (May 28, 1928 – Nov. 25, 2005) was an American printmaker and painter best known for his intaglio etchings, relief prints, and delicately tonal landscape imagery. Born in Brooklyn, New York to Louis B. Kaufman, a printer of German-Jewish ancestry, and Sarah Shirley Jacobs, of French-Russian descent, he developed an early fascination with drawing, paper craftsmanship, and the mechanical beauty of printing.
Early Life & Influences
Though largely self-taught, Kaufman grew up around the tools of printmaking due to his father’s trade. By age 17 he had begun experimenting seriously with graphic arts, later transitioning from drawing and watercolor to the intaglio process that would define his mature style.
Career Turning Point — Testimony from His Daughter, Heather (Primary Provenance Source)
Heather Kaufman provides essential insight into her father’s shift into fine art:
“My father was eventually laid off from his job, as everything became automated and computerized. He was on unemployment and in the house, and began painting. My step-mother gathered his work one day and brought them to an art gallery in Nyack, New York, and they had a gallery opening of his work. He was really mad. However, I do believe most of his work was sold immediately. He then began with the intaglios, and did his own framing and matting at home.”
This firsthand account describes a profound mid-life artistic redirection — a combination of economic displacement, unexpected exposure, and immediate commercial success that propelled Kaufman into professional printmaking.
Work with Disney — Clarified via Family Documentation
Heather also notes:
“He perfected the characters in Jungle Book, (6) as an outside vendor for Disney.”
Because this comes directly from the artist’s daughter, it is valid provenance testimony, but it should be labeled carefully:
No official Disney studio records or film credits list him, which is not unusual — outside vendors and contract illustrators often went uncredited in the 1960s.
His contribution appears to have been character refinement, studies, or inking, rather than animating or directing.
This detail is now included as family-confirmed documentation, not as a studio-verified credit.
Mature Career
Kaufman lived and worked primarily in Tallman and later New City, Rockland County, New York. He maintained a vintage etching press on his property, producing limited-edition intaglios, aquatints, and relief etchings that often explored:
His prints are recognized for:
fine, clean linework
controlled tonal transitions
hand-inked plates with warm brown, sepia, green, or blue hues
modest but disciplined edition sizes
pencil signatures and consistent paper quality
He often framed and matted his prints himself, a detail verified by his daughter.
Artistic Style & Significance
Kaufman’s work fits into the lineage of mid-20th-century American printmaking, with influences from:
Japanese woodblock simplification
Tonalism
Hudson River School atmosphere (filtered through a modern lens)
Minimalist, contemplative composition
Collectors prize his work for its stillness, technical refinement, and purity of form, even though he never achieved significant representation in major institutions. His prints circulate widely in regional auctions and private collections.
Death & Legacy
Kaufman passed away in New City, NY in 2005, at age 77, from complications related to lupus. His work remains beloved among collectors of American printmaking, especially those drawn to refined linework and contemplative landscapes.
Al Kaufman, “SUN-UP,” intaglio relief etching, 9×15 in., pencil-signed and numbered 94/350. A stylized tree against a serene brown-and-white landscape — minimal, meditative, and finely executed. Excellent condition. Rare mid-century American printmaking work.
CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Al (Albert) Kaufman (1928–2005)
Title: SUN-UP
Medium: Intaglio Relief Etching on Paper
Dimensions: 9 × 15 inches
Edition: 94/350
Signature: Pencil-signed lower right
Date: 1970s
Condition: Excellent; no tears, discoloration, or foxing; strong impression and clean margins.
Provenance:
Includes direct testimony from the artist’s daughter, Heather Kaufman, confirming:
Early gallery debut in Nyack, NY
Artist’s self-matting and framing practices
Home-operated press
Outside-vendor work refining characters for Disney’s The Jungle Book
Provenance Chain
Artist’s Studio, Tallman / New City, NY — c.1970s
Nyack-area Gallery / NYC Acquisition
Private Collector, New York
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC (Current Owner)
“SUN-UP,” Al Kaufman (1928–2005), 9×15 in. intaglio relief etching, signed and numbered 94/350.
“SUN-UP” by Al Kaufman is a serene 9″×15″ intaglio relief etching from the 1970s, numbered 94/350 and pencil-signed. The print features a stylized tree over a tranquil landscape in warm brown and white tones, evoking the first light of dawn and a quiet, meditative mood. A fine example of Kaufman’s mastery of tonal etching and relief technique, “SUN-UP” appeals to collectors of mid-century American printmaking and contemplative landscape art.
Artwork Description
“SUN-UP” exemplifies Al Kaufman’s delicate and disciplined approach to intaglio relief etching. Executed on paper in a 9 x 15 inch format, the piece depicts a solitary, stylized tree in white relief against a warm brown field — its branches spreading gracefully, leaves simplified into rhythmic patterns, and the ground suggested by subtle textural hints rather than explicit detail.
The relief is crisply incised, with fine linework defining trunk and branches, and smooth tonal gradations rendered in the brown background, perhaps via aquatint or soft-ground etching. The white of the paper forms the tree and foreground silhouettes, creating a striking contrast and a sense of immediate light — fitting the title “SUN-UP.” The composition evokes East-Asian aesthetic sensibilities, reminiscent of woodblock or sumi-inspired landscapes, though executed in Western intaglio technique.
Pencil signature (“Al Kaufman”) lower right, edition number “94/350” lower left, and the title “SUN-UP” inscribed in pencil center under image. The edition size suggests mid-1970s production, consistent with other works attributed to Kaufman during that era.
Collectors value “SUN-UP” for its quiet elegance, tonal subtlety, and balanced composition — a meditative landscape captured through refined printmaking.
Biography: Al Kaufman (1928–2005)
Name: Al (Albert) Kaufman
Born: May 28, 1928, Brooklyn, New York
Died: November 25, 2005, New City, Rockland County, New York (aged 77), from complications related to lupus.
Albert “Al” Kaufman (May 28, 1928 – Nov. 25, 2005) was an American printmaker and painter best known for his intaglio etchings, relief prints, and delicately tonal landscape imagery. Born in Brooklyn, New York to Louis B. Kaufman, a printer of German-Jewish ancestry, and Sarah Shirley Jacobs, of French-Russian descent, he developed an early fascination with drawing, paper craftsmanship, and the mechanical beauty of printing.
Early Life & Influences
Though largely self-taught, Kaufman grew up around the tools of printmaking due to his father’s trade. By age 17 he had begun experimenting seriously with graphic arts, later transitioning from drawing and watercolor to the intaglio process that would define his mature style.
Career Turning Point — Testimony from His Daughter, Heather (Primary Provenance Source)
Heather Kaufman provides essential insight into her father’s shift into fine art:
“My father was eventually laid off from his job, as everything became automated and computerized. He was on unemployment and in the house, and began painting. My step-mother gathered his work one day and brought them to an art gallery in Nyack, New York, and they had a gallery opening of his work. He was really mad. However, I do believe most of his work was sold immediately. He then began with the intaglios, and did his own framing and matting at home.”
This firsthand account describes a profound mid-life artistic redirection — a combination of economic displacement, unexpected exposure, and immediate commercial success that propelled Kaufman into professional printmaking.
Work with Disney — Clarified via Family Documentation
Heather also notes:
“He perfected the characters in Jungle Book, (6) as an outside vendor for Disney.”
Because this comes directly from the artist’s daughter, it is valid provenance testimony, but it should be labeled carefully:
No official Disney studio records or film credits list him, which is not unusual — outside vendors and contract illustrators often went uncredited in the 1960s.
His contribution appears to have been character refinement, studies, or inking, rather than animating or directing.
This detail is now included as family-confirmed documentation, not as a studio-verified credit.
Mature Career
Kaufman lived and worked primarily in Tallman and later New City, Rockland County, New York. He maintained a vintage etching press on his property, producing limited-edition intaglios, aquatints, and relief etchings that often explored:
His prints are recognized for:
fine, clean linework
controlled tonal transitions
hand-inked plates with warm brown, sepia, green, or blue hues
modest but disciplined edition sizes
pencil signatures and consistent paper quality
He often framed and matted his prints himself, a detail verified by his daughter.
Artistic Style & Significance
Kaufman’s work fits into the lineage of mid-20th-century American printmaking, with influences from:
Japanese woodblock simplification
Tonalism
Hudson River School atmosphere (filtered through a modern lens)
Minimalist, contemplative composition
Collectors prize his work for its stillness, technical refinement, and purity of form, even though he never achieved significant representation in major institutions. His prints circulate widely in regional auctions and private collections.
Death & Legacy
Kaufman passed away in New City, NY in 2005, at age 77, from complications related to lupus. His work remains beloved among collectors of American printmaking, especially those drawn to refined linework and contemplative landscapes.
Al Kaufman, “SUN-UP,” intaglio relief etching, 9×15 in., pencil-signed and numbered 94/350. A stylized tree against a serene brown-and-white landscape — minimal, meditative, and finely executed. Excellent condition. Rare mid-century American printmaking work.
CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Al (Albert) Kaufman (1928–2005)
Title: SUN-UP
Medium: Intaglio Relief Etching on Paper
Dimensions: 9 × 15 inches
Edition: 94/350
Signature: Pencil-signed lower right
Date: 1970s
Condition: Excellent; no tears, discoloration, or foxing; strong impression and clean margins.
Provenance:
Includes direct testimony from the artist’s daughter, Heather Kaufman, confirming:
Early gallery debut in Nyack, NY
Artist’s self-matting and framing practices
Home-operated press
Outside-vendor work refining characters for Disney’s The Jungle Book
Provenance Chain
Artist’s Studio, Tallman / New City, NY — c.1970s
Nyack-area Gallery / NYC Acquisition
Private Collector, New York
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC (Current Owner)
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