Name/Title
Towel, Wallhanging: Early Glass 229Description
A six-color silkscreen print on off-white linen depicting early American hand blown flasks and bottles set in a window and on bracketed shelves surrounding it. Hand blown and mold blown bottles are illustrated. 19th century mold-blown bottles include impressions of opera singer Jenny Lind (the Swedish Nightingale) and a steam engine with the text “SUCCESS TO THE RAILROAD”. Faceted mold-blown glass is represented as well.
The composition centers around a window and emphasizes the idea that glass cannot be fully appreciated without light. The tall window depicted was in Wert’s Gill, MA, studio.
Glass bottles are a recurrent theme in Wert’s work and can be found on placemats, mounted prints, framed prints, and tiles.
This design appears in the brochure “Country Prints by Robert Darr Wert and Neighbors”, c.1966; see images.
This is one of over sixty designs sold by Country Prints to Stevens Linen Associates of Dudley, Massachusetts, in January 1969. From that point onward, the designs were produced by Stevens with all reference to Robert Darr Wert and Country Prints removed. Many of these designs continued to be produced by Stevens throughout the 1970’s and some into the 1980’s.
In a memo from Fritz Kaufhold (Country Prints’ business manager) to Bob MacKay (Stonelea Mills/Stevens Linen Associates) dated February 12, 1969, Fritz notes this design is was an average seller at the time.Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Robert Darr WertRole
ArtistManufacturer
Country PrintsDate made
circa 1965Time Period
20th CenturyPlace
Location
Gill MA.Continent
North AmericaNotes
Top edge is finished to accept a dowel for hanging. Remaining edges are hemmed.Inscription/Signature/Marks
“© wert COUNTRY PRINTS by hand” at lower left, and “on pure linen” at lower rightDimensions
Height
30-1/2 inWidth
16 inMaterial
Textile Ink, Bleached LinenColors
Color
Turquoise, Navy, Dark Green, Dark Brown, Light Brown, RedColor Notes
Additional colors produced by overprinting.
