“Trees and Water,” Ruth Leaf, signed etching, 7/175, 29.75×21.5 in., a serene woodland landscape by the acclaimed American printmaker.

“Trees and Water” is an original hand-pulled etching by celebrated American printmaker Ruth Leaf (1923–2015), numbered 7/175 and pencil-signed by the artist. This work captures the quiet harmony of forest and water using Leaf’s signature blend of gestural line, soft tonal washes, and textured mark-making.

Rendered in earthy greens, warm browns, and reflective grays, the print demonstrates Leaf’s mastery of intaglio processes learned at Atelier 17, where she absorbed both technical rigor and experimental freedom. The composition draws the viewer gently into the wooded landscape, its still water contrasting with the vertical rhythm of trees and the expressive movement of etched shadows.

A beautiful example of Leaf’s landscape works and an excellent acquisition for collectors of mid-century printmaking.

Artwork Description

This etching showcases Leaf’s dynamic, painterly approach to intaglio: layered plate tone, textured wiping, and gestural drypoint-like strokes.

The forest canopy is built from translucent washes and feathered marks, while the rocky shoreline is defined by rugged, angular lines. The reflective pool of water tempers the composition, capturing softened silhouettes that heighten the piece’s mood and spatial depth.

Leaf frequently explored nature not as literal scenery, but as a structure of rhythm, pattern, and emotional resonance. “Trees and Water” reflects this philosophy — a scene observed, distilled, and abstracted through her expressive visual vocabulary.

Edition 7/175 suggests this was among the earliest impressions pulled from the plate, often considered desirable due to strong plate definition.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY — RUTH LEAF (1923–2015)

(This is your standard biography for all Ruth Leaf entries; identical to the definitive version I created earlier.)

Ruth Leaf was an influential American printmaker, educator, and author whose pioneering work helped establish intaglio printmaking as a major American art form in the mid-20th century. Born in Brighton Beach, New York, Leaf developed a lifelong fascination with the structure and emotional power of the natural world.

Education & Training

Leaf’s formal training spanned some of the most important institutions in American modernism:

• The Art Students League of New York

• The New School for Social Research

• Brooklyn College

• American Artists School

• Pratt Graphics Center

• Atelier 17, the influential studio of master printmaker Stanley William Hayter, where she absorbed experimental approaches to line, texture, and plate work

Career, Exhibitions & Influence

Leaf exhibited widely across the United States and internationally, with works shown at:

• Library of Congress

• Butler Institute of American Art

• Carnegie Institute

• Brooklyn Museum

• University museums nationwide

• Los Angeles County Museum of Art

• Galerie Art & Gravure, Paris

• Chiba Shimin Gallery, Japan

• Art in Embassies Program

She had numerous solo shows, including at universities, museums, and major galleries in New York, California, and abroad. Retrospectives celebrated the range and technical sophistication of her work.

Teaching & Printmaking Leadership

Leaf was also a revered educator. She founded and directed the Ruth Leaf Studio, taught at community art centers, lectured widely, and conducted monoprint and intaglio demonstrations nationwide. Her influence shaped generations of printmakers.

Publications

Leaf authored the definitive handbook:

• Etching, Engraving and Other Intaglio Printmaking Techniques (Watson-Guptill, 1976), still used in university printmaking programs.

Her work and career appear 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 American Women

• Who’s Who in the East

Collections

Leaf’s prints are now held at:

• Library of Congress

• Hofstra University

• Portland Museum

• Butler Museum

• Bowdoin College

• Colgate University

• Queens College

• New York University

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

Awards

Her honors include multiple purchase awards, juried exhibition prizes, and medals recognizing innovation in printmaking.

Artist’s Philosophy

Leaf wrote that abstraction allowed her to express “the essence of things” rather than literal representation. Her prints — whether landscape, abstraction, or figurative — invite viewers to find their own emotional connections, much like listening to music without needing to know the composer’s intention.

Ruth Leaf, Trees and Water, etching, signed and numbered 7/175. Size 29.75 × 21.5 in. A richly textured woodland landscape by the noted American printmaker.

Artist: Ruth Leaf (1923–2015)
Title: Trees and Water
Date: c.1970s
Medium: Original hand-pulled etching
Edition: 7/175
Size: 29.75 × 21.5 in.
Signature: Pencil-signed
Condition: Excellent
Provenance: Mitch Morse Gallery → Artfind Gallery
Authenticity: Verified original etching consistent with Leaf’s technique, signature, and editions.

Provenance Chain

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