The Toast (Triptych)

Joseph Hirsch

Hirsch printed "The Toast" as three separate prints on three sheets of paper. Each sheet measures 11 x 11/16 squared and is matted separately.

Prolific, versatile, and powerful, Joseph Hirsch was known for his keen technical skill in combination with an Abstract Expressionist and Social Realist bent to subjects and composition. The arc of his work grappled with the theme of the human condition, but also embraced the beauty of capturing simple pleasures and connection.

In this triptych Hirsch employs his signature style to present two men drinking red wine. His expert draftsmanship is well suited to lithography, allowing him to render intricately detailed faces that appear carved from stone. They are older faces, worn with time and experience, flanking the center image of their hands raised in that simple, familiar human connection: the toast. The three images combine to serve as a reminder that life in all of its perils and joys is best met with good company.