Leonard Baskin

Leonard Baskin 1922-2000, American sculptor, graphic artist, and teacher, b. New Brunswick, N.J. In sculptural and graphic works that are figurative in style, Baskin's images of a corrupt, bloated humanity often have an element of sardonic humor. He frequently treated biblical or mythological themes and explored both human and animal figures. His woodcuts are celebrated for their power and expressiveness. Among his notable prints are Mid-century Monster and The Poet Laureate; his sculpture Man with a Dead Bird is in the Museum of Modern Art, New York City. Baskin taught sculpture and printmaking at Smith College for 20 years (1953-73) and at Hampshire College for ten (1984-94). His works, often reproduced, are represented in many of the world's major museums. Baskin founded (1942) the Gehenna Press, noted for its fine typography and superbly illustrated limited-edition books, in Northampton, Mass., and operated it for more than 25 years. Baskin's bas-relief Funeral Cortege was installed at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, Washington, D.C., in 1997.

Bibliography: See his Sculpture, Drawings and Prints (1970); I. Jaffe, The Sculpture of Leonard Baskin (1980); A. Fern and J. O'Sullivan, The Complete Prints of Leonard Baskin (1984).

Baskin, Leonard (b New Brunswick, NJ, 15 Aug. 1922; d Northampton, Mass., 3 June 2000). American sculptor, printmaker, draughtsman, and book designer. He believed that art should express moral and social concerns—a view that put him at odds with the prevailing abstraction of the early years of his career. His most characteristic sculptures are brooding full-length standing figures (in bronze, stone, or wood) portraying ‘anxiety-ridden man imprisoned in his ungainly self’ (Man with a Dead Bird, 1951–6, MoMA, New York). They have a kinship with the graphic art of Barlach and Kollwitz—the two modern artists Baskin admired most. Baskin himself was a prolific printmaker, especially of woodcuts, many of which were used as book illustrations. His interest in books encompassed the whole of their design, including typography and binding, and in 1952 he founded the Gehenna Press to produce limited editions. He won numerous awards for his work, including the Printmaking Prize at the 1961 São Paulo Bienale.