COOK, Howard

American (1901 – 1980)

Harbor Skyline, 1930

Duffy 129. Soft ground etching and aquatint on wove paper. Edition of 50, but only 40 proofs were printed. Signed “Howard Cook imp.”, dated, and numbered 17/50 in pencil, indicating an impression printed by Cook. A rich impression in fine condition.

9 ⅝  x  11 ¹⁵⁄₁₆ inches   |   24.4  x  30.3 cm

Howard Cook was captivated by the bustling Manhattan harbor, animated by dancing plumes of steam. In 1930, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut publicly acknowledged the need to address the growing issue of pollution in the harbor. This was due in large part to the influx of cargo ships bearing coal and billowing soot and smoke from their own coal-powered steam engines, as well as to the increasing number of tugboats guiding them into the docks.  The extent of this pollution shown in Harbor Skyline was not duplicated in New York until the 1960s. The artist also created a drawing many years later, based on this composition. The medium is wash, charcoal, and pastel, 12 x 17 1/4″ (private collection).

Museum Collections:
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Smithsonian American Art Museum

$23,500