James Lesesne Wells

American, 1902 - 1993

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James Lesesne Wells, Watusi Family, 1988, color woodcut on laid paper, Ruth and Jacob Kainen Collection, 1994.87.10

Watusi Family

James Lesesne Wells · 1988 · color woodcut on laid paper ·  Accession ID  1994.87.10

James Lesesne Wells, The Vamp, 1983, color linocut on wove paper, Gift of Jacob Kainen, 2002.98.247

The Vamp

James Lesesne Wells · 1983 · color linocut on wove paper ·  Accession ID  2002.98.247

James Lesesne Wells, Orpheus and the Sirens, 1983, color woodcut on wove paper, Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen, 2012.92.661

Orpheus and the Sirens

James Lesesne Wells · 1983 · color woodcut on wove paper ·  Accession ID  2012.92.661

Printed with flat areas of black, scarlet red, canary yellow, grass green, and earth brown, a nude woman reclines among leafy plants in this stylized, horizontal linocut. The woman has black-colored skin, long hair, and a necklace. Her head is to our right, and she rests on her left hip so her body faces us. She lies on a couch or chaise. Red forms behind her could be a headboard or screen. Large-leafed plants grow across the background, and a brown pot is in the lower right. The forms are outlined in yellow, which also fills in the spaces between them. Inscribed in graphite under the image are “African Nude” to the left, “a/p” at the center, and “James L Wells 80” to the right.
James Lesesne Wells, African Nude, 1980, color linocut on Japan paper, Gift of Jacob Kainen, 2002.98.246

African Nude

James Lesesne Wells · 1980 · color linocut on Japan paper ·  Accession ID  2002.98.246

James Lesesne Wells, Young Girl - Senegal, 1970, lithograph in dark green on wove paper, Gift of Jacob Kainen, 2002.98.248

Young Girl - Senegal

James Lesesne Wells · 1970 · lithograph in dark green on wove paper ·  Accession ID  2002.98.248

James Lesesne Wells, Icarus, 1968, wood engraving in black on Japan paper, Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen, 2005.99.37

Icarus

James Lesesne Wells · 1968 · wood engraving in black on Japan paper ·  Accession ID  2005.99.37

James Lesesne Wells, The Burning Bush, 1961, wood engraving in black on wove paper, Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen, 2012.92.660

The Burning Bush

James Lesesne Wells · 1961 · wood engraving in black on wove paper ·  Accession ID  2012.92.660

James Lesesne Wells, Portuguese Woman, 1940, lithograph, Reba and Dave Williams Collection, Florian Carr Fund and Gift of the Print Research Foundation, 2008.115.288

Portuguese Woman

James Lesesne Wells · 1940 · lithograph ·  Accession ID  2008.115.288

James Lesesne Wells, River Boat (C & O Canal, D.C.), c. 1940, woodcut, Reba and Dave Williams Collection, Florian Carr Fund and Gift of the Print Research Foundation, 2008.115.287

River Boat (C & O Canal, D.C.)

James Lesesne Wells · c. 1940 · woodcut ·  Accession ID  2008.115.287

James Lesesne Wells, Looking Upward, 1928, woodcut in black on laid paper, Ruth and Jacob Kainen Collection, 1994.87.9

Looking Upward

James Lesesne Wells · 1928 · woodcut in black on laid paper ·  Accession ID  1994.87.9