Artwork
Bookplate for Calvin Coolidge
Bookplate for Calvin Coolidge is an ink print by Timothy Cole. It dates from 1928 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Timothy Cole’s 1928 wood engraving, titled Bookplate for Calvin Coolidge, is a black‑and‑white print on wove paper designed to serve as a personalized label for the former president’s books. The composition is framed as a window into a tranquil rural landscape, topped by a small portrait of a curly‑haired man looking downward, with the owner’s name rendered in cursive at the bottom.
Subject & Meaning
The central scene depicts a solitary tree shading a modest house with a porch, a grazing sheep near a low fence, and a winding road that recedes into the distance, evoking a sense of quiet domesticity and pastoral simplicity. The miniature portrait above the landscape likely represents Coolidge himself, linking the owner’s identity to an idealized vision of rural America.
Technique & Style
Cole employed the traditional wood engraving method, carving fine lines into a hard wood block to achieve delicate tonal variation. The resulting print displays intricate hatching that builds texture and depth, especially in the foliage and architectural details, while the overall composition retains the crisp, linear quality characteristic of early 20th‑century American printmaking.
History & Provenance
Created in 1928, the bookplate was commissioned for Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, as a personal imprint for his private library. As a work by Cole—renowned for reproducing paintings and illustrations in engraving—the piece reflects the era’s practice of using bespoke bookplates to denote ownership and status.
Artist & collection
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