Bacon, Peggy Frances (1895-1987)
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1927.

Drypoint print, signed, dated, and titled by Bacon in pencil on lower blank margin, matted (creasing to margin with two neatly repaired tiny tears at lower edge, matt burn, minor stains not affecting composition); 15 ¾ x 12 in.

Based in New York City, Peggy Bacon is best known for the unique drypoint etching technique she discovered and developed herself as a student at the Art Students League from 1915-1920. She studied there with George Bellows, John Sloan and other modernists whose work also depicted scenes of daily life. Bacon's quotidian drypoint scenes from her early career are infused with satire, usually representing her subjects as rounded caricatures. According to her, "The aim of a caricature is to heighten and intensify to the point of absurdity all the subject's most striking attributes; a caricature should not necessarily stop at ridiculing the features but should include in its extravagant appraisal whatever of the figure may be needed to explain the personality, the whole drawing imparting a spicy and clairvoyant comment upon the subject's peculiarities." Peggy Bacon was also a prolific book illustrator and author, with her mystery story The Inward Eye, garnering her the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel in 1952.

Condition
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Devon Eastland, Senior Specialist: deastland@swanngalleries.com
Grace Meschery-McCormack, Cataloguer: gmccormack@swanngalleries.com