Anton Schutz
'Cleveland Public Square' — 1920s Urban Realism
1927

Name: 'Cleveland Public Square' — 1920s Urban Realism
Brand: Anton Schutz
Price: 280 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Anton Schutz, 'Cleveland Public Square', etching, edition not stated, 1927. Signed in pencil. Signed and dated in the plate, lower left. Annotated 'Cleveland Public Square S489', in another hand, in the bottom right margin. A fine, richly-inked impression, in brown/black ink, with skillfully-controlled plate tone, on cream wove Japan paper; the full sheet with margins (1 5/8 to 3 inches), in excellent condition. Archivally sleeved, unmatted. Image size 11 7/8 x 8 7/8 inches; sheet size 17 1/4 x 12 1/8 inches. ABOUT THIS IMAGE 'Public Square' is the two-block (formerly four-block) central plaza of downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Based on an 18th-century New England model, it was part of the original 1796 town plan overseen by Moses Cleveland and remains today as an integral part of the city's center. The 10-acre (4.0 ha) square is centered on the former intersection of Superior Avenue and Ontario Street.[2] Cleveland's three tallest buildings, Key Tower, 200 Public Square, and the Terminal Tower, face the square. Public Square was part of the Connecticut Land Company's original plan for the city, overseen by Moses Cleveland in the 1790s. The square is signature of the layout for early New England towns, which Cleveland was modeled after. While it initially served as a common pasture for settlers' animals, less than a century later in 1879 Public Square became the first street in the world to be lit with electric street lights—arc lamps designed by Cleveland native Charles F. Brush. The square was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1975. Public Square is often the site of political rallies and civic functions, including a free annual Independence Day concert by the Cleveland Orchestra. At the Balloonfest '86, close to 1.5 million balloons (a world record) rose from Public Square, engulfing nearby Terminal Tower. ABOUT THE ARTIST Etcher, painter, and architect, Anton Schutz was born in Germany in 1894. He studied at the University of Munich, earning a double degree in mechanical engineering and architecture. His interests then turned to art, and he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. After completing his artistic studies, Schutz came to the United States in 1924, where he met Joseph Pennell. He assisted Pennell in his classes at the Art Students League, New York, and became his professional associate. Schutz was commissioned by The New York Times to make etchings of New York and other American cities. He completed a series of illustrations for the magazine section, traveling as far west as San Francisco. Schutz then traveled to Japan, Russia, and China in 1928 and 1929, creating etchings published by The New York Times and the New York Herald Tribune. The United States Chamber of Commerce commissioned him to create a series of twelve etchings on American cities, later reproduced in Nation’s Business Magazine. Other of his etchings featuring European and American cities were included in publications of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Schutz also served as the president of the New York Graphic Society and the Louis Icart Society. The works of Anton Schutz are represented in numerous museum collections, including the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Museum, the Chicago Art Institute, the Cleveland Museum of Arts, the British Museum, the Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris, and the Uffizi Galleries in Florence.

Creator:

Anton Schutz (1894-1977, American)

Creation Year:

1927

Dimensions:

Height: 11.88 in (30.18 cm)Width: 8.88 in (22.56 cm)

Medium:

Etching

Movement & Style:

American Realist

Period:

1920-1929