Among Those Who Stood There

Abraham Rattner

This mixed media work is a proof that was meant to be published. It is based on a color etching done at Atelier 17 in New York that measures 6-7/8 x 9-7/8" and was done only in proofs. One of these prints was exhibited in the 1944 exhibition "Hayter and Studio 17" at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It is illustrated on page 4 of the catalogue.

Rattner's wife, artist Esther Gentle, had worked in the screenprinting division of the WPA and, after the end of the WPA, reproduced artists' works in screenprint/pochoir for sale in gift stores, etc.

This image is taken from the smaller etching, which was photographed, enlarged and printed in half-tone and then used to created screens for the reproduction. This is a proof, with the black line and a couple of the colors created by screen, the majority of the color applied by Rattner. The work was published in an edition of 120 and we know that at least 30 were printed.

The Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art has two impressions of the etching and a black and white offset of this image.