Greeting Card for 1949–50

Stanley William Hayter

1949 · Engraving and soft-ground etching, color · Drawings and Prints

Beginning in 1931, Hayter made numerous year-end holiday cards. These works, which act as a survey of his artistic concerns, practices, and styles, range from black-and-white Surrealist-inspired intaglio compositions to Op art pieces marked by allover compositions and bold contrasts of color. Most were printed in (unnumbered) editions of around one hundred and sent to friends and family, often with inscriptions. While Augy’s Foot, a holiday card and birth announcement made in 1940 commemorates a major life events, most cards are less personal, particularly those made as Hayter moved toward total abstraction.

Artist

Stanley William Hayter

Date

1949

Medium

Engraving and soft-ground etching, color

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of A. Hyatt Mayor, 1950