Summer of ’42, Elizabeth Kitcho (b. 1931), c.1970s, original intaglio etching printed in blue ink, 11 × 17 in., pencil signed and numbered 68/150.
Original signed etching Summer of ’42 by American artist Elizabeth Kitcho, edition 68/150. A finely detailed intaglio print depicting a nostalgic seaside bicycle scene rendered in expressive linework and atmospheric blue ink. A collectible example of late 20th-century American figurative printmaking combining impressionistic realism with delicate narrative storytelling.
Artwork Description
Summer of ’42 is a lyrical figurative etching by American artist Elizabeth Kitcho that captures a moment of quiet nostalgia along a coastal path. The composition depicts a young woman standing beside a bicycle, turned slightly away from the viewer as she holds a small bouquet of flowers. Her wide hat and flowing scarf move gently in the breeze, suggesting the soft coastal wind of a summer afternoon.
Kitcho constructs the scene through intricate cross-hatched etching lines, giving the composition remarkable depth and texture. The bicycle wheels, spokes, and frame are rendered with careful mechanical precision, while the grasses and shoreline dissolve into looser, atmospheric strokes. This contrast between structural detail and expressive mark-making creates a dynamic visual rhythm across the print.
Printed in a rich cobalt-blue ink rather than traditional black, the etching carries a distinctive visual tone that evokes maritime light and coastal air. The sky is built through horizontal etched lines that mimic shifting clouds or distant sea horizons, reinforcing the breezy, contemplative atmosphere of the scene.
The title Summer of ’42 evokes a sense of memory and nostalgia. While the image is not directly tied to a specific historical event, it suggests a romanticized vision of wartime-era America—an image of youth, freedom, and fleeting summer moments. The woman’s posture, turned away from the viewer, introduces a narrative ambiguity: she appears either pausing during a ride or preparing to continue her journey down the path.
Technically, the print demonstrates the hallmarks of traditional intaglio etching, where lines are incised into a metal plate, inked, and printed under pressure onto dampened paper. The visible plate impression around the image confirms this traditional process. The sheet retains natural deckled edges, characteristic of fine printmaking papers.
This example is numbered 68 from an edition of 150 and is signed in pencil by the artist in the lower right margin. The hand-written title appears centered below the plate mark.
Artist Biography
Elizabeth Kitcho (Armour) (American, born 1931) is a painter and printmaker associated with a style she described as “impressionistic realism,” a visual approach that merges observational detail with subtle emotional atmosphere. Born in New York City in 1931, she grew up surrounded by one of the world’s most vibrant artistic environments. Central Park served as her childhood playground, and the museums of Manhattan—particularly the Metropolitan Museum of Art—became formative influences on her artistic development.
From an early age Kitcho demonstrated a clear aptitude for drawing and painting. She pursued formal art education through several notable institutions. She studied art at Washington Irving High School in New York, a school known for its strong arts curriculum, and later continued her studies at the Art Students League, one of the most influential independent art schools in the United States. She also studied at Queens College and further refined her practice at the Botini Art Gallery.
Kitcho’s work reflects a sensitive observational approach to everyday life. Her paintings and prints frequently depict quiet figurative scenes, landscapes, and moments of introspective stillness. She described her work as impressionistic realism—an approach that combines recognizable subject matter with painterly atmosphere and emotional nuance. Rather than strict realism, her compositions often incorporate a soft blending of tones and muted colors to evoke mood and memory.
Throughout her career Kitcho devoted many years to portrait commissions, demonstrating her ability to capture both likeness and personality. In addition to her studio practice, she also maintained a long career as an educator, conducting private art classes for children and adults and serving as an instructor in adult art education programs.
Her work has been exhibited widely across the northeastern United States. Exhibition venues include galleries and institutions in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Notable gallery exhibitions include:
Mitch Morse Galleries, New York and Pennsylvania
J. Richards Gallery, Mamaroneck, New York
Gallery 63, New York
Carole Shames Gallery, Philadelphia
Fine Arts Gallery, Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Kitcho’s artistic practice reflects the mid-to-late twentieth-century revival of figurative printmaking in the United States, during which many artists explored narrative imagery and traditional etching techniques. Her prints, often intimate in scale and subject, emphasize storytelling and emotional atmosphere rather than overt modernist abstraction.
By the late twentieth century, her work had entered numerous private collections and was distributed through gallery networks such as Mitch Morse Galleries. Her imagery—quiet figures, nostalgic landscapes, and reflective moments—continues to resonate with collectors who appreciate narrative realism and traditional printmaking craft.
As of 2026, Kitcho’s work remains recognized among collectors of regional American printmaking and figurative art, particularly those interested in works that bridge classical drawing traditions with modern narrative sensibilities.
Elizabeth Kitcho (b. 1931)
Summer of ’42
Original etching printed in blue ink
Edition 68/150
Image approx. 11 × 17 in.
Signed in pencil by the artist.
Certificate of Authentication
This document certifies that the artwork titled Summer of ’42 is an authentic original intaglio etching by American artist Elizabeth Kitcho (born 1931). The print is hand-signed by the artist in pencil and numbered 68/150. The work was produced using traditional etching techniques and printed on fine art paper.
This artwork was acquired through Mitch Morse Gallery and is currently held in the collection of Artfind Gallery, Washington DC.
Artfind Gallery
Washington, DC
Condition
Very good vintage condition. Strong plate impression with visible deckled edges. Minor age-related toning in margins consistent with vintage prints. No significant tears, foxing, or restoration visible from provided images.
Provenance
Mitch Morse Gallery, New York / Pennsylvania
Acquired by Artfind Gallery through Mitch Morse Gallery
Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current owner)
Citations
Artist biography sheet from Merrill Chase Artists’ Biographies archive.
Mitch Morse Gallery exhibition documentation.
Art Students League historical records.
Summer of ’42, Elizabeth Kitcho (b. 1931), c.1970s, original intaglio etching printed in blue ink, 11 × 17 in., pencil signed and numbered 68/150.
Original signed etching Summer of ’42 by American artist Elizabeth Kitcho, edition 68/150. A finely detailed intaglio print depicting a nostalgic seaside bicycle scene rendered in expressive linework and atmospheric blue ink. A collectible example of late 20th-century American figurative printmaking combining impressionistic realism with delicate narrative storytelling.
Artwork Description
Summer of ’42 is a lyrical figurative etching by American artist Elizabeth Kitcho that captures a moment of quiet nostalgia along a coastal path. The composition depicts a young woman standing beside a bicycle, turned slightly away from the viewer as she holds a small bouquet of flowers. Her wide hat and flowing scarf move gently in the breeze, suggesting the soft coastal wind of a summer afternoon.
Kitcho constructs the scene through intricate cross-hatched etching lines, giving the composition remarkable depth and texture. The bicycle wheels, spokes, and frame are rendered with careful mechanical precision, while the grasses and shoreline dissolve into looser, atmospheric strokes. This contrast between structural detail and expressive mark-making creates a dynamic visual rhythm across the print.
Printed in a rich cobalt-blue ink rather than traditional black, the etching carries a distinctive visual tone that evokes maritime light and coastal air. The sky is built through horizontal etched lines that mimic shifting clouds or distant sea horizons, reinforcing the breezy, contemplative atmosphere of the scene.
The title Summer of ’42 evokes a sense of memory and nostalgia. While the image is not directly tied to a specific historical event, it suggests a romanticized vision of wartime-era America—an image of youth, freedom, and fleeting summer moments. The woman’s posture, turned away from the viewer, introduces a narrative ambiguity: she appears either pausing during a ride or preparing to continue her journey down the path.
Technically, the print demonstrates the hallmarks of traditional intaglio etching, where lines are incised into a metal plate, inked, and printed under pressure onto dampened paper. The visible plate impression around the image confirms this traditional process. The sheet retains natural deckled edges, characteristic of fine printmaking papers.
This example is numbered 68 from an edition of 150 and is signed in pencil by the artist in the lower right margin. The hand-written title appears centered below the plate mark.
Artist Biography
Elizabeth Kitcho (Armour) (American, born 1931) is a painter and printmaker associated with a style she described as “impressionistic realism,” a visual approach that merges observational detail with subtle emotional atmosphere. Born in New York City in 1931, she grew up surrounded by one of the world’s most vibrant artistic environments. Central Park served as her childhood playground, and the museums of Manhattan—particularly the Metropolitan Museum of Art—became formative influences on her artistic development.
From an early age Kitcho demonstrated a clear aptitude for drawing and painting. She pursued formal art education through several notable institutions. She studied art at Washington Irving High School in New York, a school known for its strong arts curriculum, and later continued her studies at the Art Students League, one of the most influential independent art schools in the United States. She also studied at Queens College and further refined her practice at the Botini Art Gallery.
Kitcho’s work reflects a sensitive observational approach to everyday life. Her paintings and prints frequently depict quiet figurative scenes, landscapes, and moments of introspective stillness. She described her work as impressionistic realism—an approach that combines recognizable subject matter with painterly atmosphere and emotional nuance. Rather than strict realism, her compositions often incorporate a soft blending of tones and muted colors to evoke mood and memory.
Throughout her career Kitcho devoted many years to portrait commissions, demonstrating her ability to capture both likeness and personality. In addition to her studio practice, she also maintained a long career as an educator, conducting private art classes for children and adults and serving as an instructor in adult art education programs.
Her work has been exhibited widely across the northeastern United States. Exhibition venues include galleries and institutions in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Notable gallery exhibitions include:
Mitch Morse Galleries, New York and Pennsylvania
J. Richards Gallery, Mamaroneck, New York
Gallery 63, New York
Carole Shames Gallery, Philadelphia
Fine Arts Gallery, Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Kitcho’s artistic practice reflects the mid-to-late twentieth-century revival of figurative printmaking in the United States, during which many artists explored narrative imagery and traditional etching techniques. Her prints, often intimate in scale and subject, emphasize storytelling and emotional atmosphere rather than overt modernist abstraction.
By the late twentieth century, her work had entered numerous private collections and was distributed through gallery networks such as Mitch Morse Galleries. Her imagery—quiet figures, nostalgic landscapes, and reflective moments—continues to resonate with collectors who appreciate narrative realism and traditional printmaking craft.
As of 2026, Kitcho’s work remains recognized among collectors of regional American printmaking and figurative art, particularly those interested in works that bridge classical drawing traditions with modern narrative sensibilities.
Elizabeth Kitcho (b. 1931)
Summer of ’42
Original etching printed in blue ink
Edition 68/150
Image approx. 11 × 17 in.
Signed in pencil by the artist.
Certificate of Authentication
This document certifies that the artwork titled Summer of ’42 is an authentic original intaglio etching by American artist Elizabeth Kitcho (born 1931). The print is hand-signed by the artist in pencil and numbered 68/150. The work was produced using traditional etching techniques and printed on fine art paper.
This artwork was acquired through Mitch Morse Gallery and is currently held in the collection of Artfind Gallery, Washington DC.
Artfind Gallery
Washington, DC
Condition
Very good vintage condition. Strong plate impression with visible deckled edges. Minor age-related toning in margins consistent with vintage prints. No significant tears, foxing, or restoration visible from provided images.
Provenance
Mitch Morse Gallery, New York / Pennsylvania
Acquired by Artfind Gallery through Mitch Morse Gallery
Artfind Gallery, Washington DC (current owner)
Citations
Artist biography sheet from Merrill Chase Artists’ Biographies archive.
Mitch Morse Gallery exhibition documentation.
Art Students League historical records.
