Leon Pescheret
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Leon Rene Pescheret, also known as Léon-René Pescheret (March 15, 1892 – February 23, 1971) was a British-born American designer, watercolorist, etcher, and illustrator.


Early life

Pescheret was born in the London suburb of
Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district in West London, split between the London Borough of Hounslow, London Boroughs of Hounslow and London Borough of Ealing, Ealing. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist Wi ...
, England to French parents. His father was a chef for Queen Victoria until she died. Pescheret began his studies at the Royal College of Engraving in Kensington under Malcolm Osborne, and the Battersea Polytechnic (now called the University of Surrey) in London. In 1910, his father moved the family to Washington, D.C. and became chef for the British Ambassador to the United States. Pescheret served in the United States Army during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. After returning from World War I, Pescheret began experimenting with etching striking his first plate in 1926.Arizona Daily Star, Over Stylized Technique Hit, March 19, 1942. He was admitted to the Chicago Society of Etchers in 1928. By the 1920s he was attending the
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...
, studying interior design under French artist and muralist . In 1934, Pescheret traveled back to Europe to study with , who was the color etcher to the court of
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. He studied engraving in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
at the
Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public university, public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City, London, White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design uni ...
, under Malcolm Osborne and Robert Austin. He was previously married to Grace Wallar Pescheret (1884–1950); and in 1951, he married Katherine Louis Pescheret (née Firebaugh; 1898–1985).


Career

Pescheret devoted his business to etching full-time by 1930. While exhibiting in 1933 at the Century of Progress, he became interested in color etchings. To study this craft, he returned to Europe and became the private pupil of Roger Hebbelinck, a famous color etcher, and gained practical knowledge in doing one and multiple plate work. In 1936, he purchased the ''Halverson Home'' located on 519 West Main St., Whitewater, Wisconsin and opened his art studio and gallery there. For the next 31 years he produced both color and monochrome etchings from this studio. Pescheret authored several books including "An Introduction to Color Etching" (1952) and "Principle and Practice of Interior Decorating" (1925). He also illustrated two books written by Alfred Hoyt Granger, "The Spirit of Vienna" (1935) and "Chicago Welcomes You," (1933) as well as contributing works to ''American Artist'' and '' Arizona Highways'' magazines. Pescheret did various architectural, interior designs and decorative art projects in his career including for Drake Hotel in Chicago, the Memorial Union Building at the University of Wisconsin; the Peoria, Illinois Country Club; and the British Museum. His work was show at galleries and museums throughout the United States including a one-man show at the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...
in Washington, D.C. His work is held in the collections of The New York Public Library, the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
,
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...
, the King of Belgium's private collection in Brussels, the
British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
, and private collections throughout the United States and Europe. Pescheret was a member of the Society of American Engravers.


Architectural design

Pescheret practiced architectural design creating the interiors of the Drake Hotel in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, the Memorial Union at the
University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
in Madison, as well and numerous institutional and private interiors. He developed the interior design of the Peoria Country Club, Pierce Hall at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.


Tucson and the Southwest

Pescheret began visiting
Tucson Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
and
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
in winter of the late 1930s. The annual winter visits expanded is visual understanding of the American Southwest. Pescheret speaking at the Sheboygan Women's Club in October 1938 recognized Arizona as one of the states "which offer the widest range of scenery." The Sheboygan Press reported that "From Arizona scenes he received inspiration for two unusual sketches, Spanish Yuca and the Coachwhip. The first shows the desert plant which grows to a height of 18 feet in full bloom against an azure sky, The Coachwhip or Devil's Walking Stick, is another form of giant cacti rarely seen anywhere else but in Arizona." In April 1940 Pescheret visited
Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, he would later speak publicly about the country as a "land of great contrasts, great wealth and extreme poverty, beautiful churches and the meanest hovels, marvelous climate and barren country."Porter, Katharine, Freeport Journal Standard (Freeport, Illinois), Trip to Mexico Ably Described by L. R. Pescheret, January 12, 1942. He visited
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
,
Taxco Taxco de Alarcón (; usually referred to as simply Taxco) is a small city and administrative center of Taxco de Alarcón Municipality located in the Mexico, Mexican state of Guerrero. Taxco is located in the north-central part of the state, from ...
, the floating island gardens of
Xochimilco Xochimilco (; ) is a borough () of Mexico City. The borough is centered on the formerly independent city of Xochimilco, which was established on what was the southern shore of Lake Xochimilco in the precolonial period. Today, the borough cons ...
and
Toluca Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. Toluca has a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the Grea ...
documenting life and iconic details of places that could become that basis for etching. These photographic images were noted by the Freeport Journal Standard as "emphasizing detail rather than general effect. He presented the point of view of the artist, rather than the historian or anthropologist and this variation proved of special interest." This period resulted in important work that emphasized shadows and architectural texture. Significant works inspired by this trip included: "Doña Berta's, Taxco," "Market Place, Taxco Mexico," (1940) and a color images of the street and bell towers of the Taxco cathedral titled "Taxco Mexico." (1940) and "Taxco Cathedral, Mexico." His national reputation for one plate color
etching Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other type ...
made him an instantaneously recognized figure in Tucson's emerging artist community. He was regularly invited to speak to art classes and groups, his "desert work" for this period was included regularly in exhibits and shown through private residential receptions. In March 1942, on a visit to Tucson, Pescheret spoke to the combined art classes at the
University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...
and the Advertisers National Federation in Phoenix on the topic of one plate color etching and this phase of his work. During these lectures Pescheret articulated his philosophy that artist should produce quantities of prints to drive down the price so that they can be acquired by the general public and avoid limiting production to elevate scarcity so only collectors and museums can buy them. In discussing the single plate color etching process with the Arizona Daily Star in 1942, Pescheret explained that he only produced six plates a year each an open edition of 200 prints. These prints are produced on large copper plates, the smallest 10 by 12 inches the largest 13 by 18 inches.Exhibit of 23 Color Etching Opens Tuesday, Tucson Daily Citizen, March 2, 1946 Through the 1940s Pescheret became a fixture in the Arizona art scene. In 1944 the Phoenix Writers Club published a volume of poetry titled "Random Arrows," Pescheret contributed a desert etching that was reproduced as the frontispiece of the book. In 1946 Pescheret exhibited 24 color etching at an exhibit at the Arizona State Museum as part of a one-man show in
Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
. The etching showed the southwestern desert and images of Wisconsin, Tennessee and New England. While Pescheret's work mastered monochromatic images, he established a national reputation as a color etcher. Most of his work was produced using a single plate, all the color necessary to the development of the image rubbed into the copper plate then printed by passing the plate and through the press. Only one print is obtained from one coloring, and it must be a perfect print, as no additions or subtractions can be made after the print is struck. In 1954 Pescheret's color etching were shown at the O'Brian Galleries in Phoenix and in 1955 the Arizona State Museum exhibited thirty of his color etching. During the exhibit Pescheret gave a gallery talk. In 1957 his black and white and color prints were shown at the Tucson Art and Craft Market Gallery in Tucson. Leon Pescheret closed the Whitewater studio in 1967, relocating to Tucson, Arizona. He died after a long illness on February 23, 1971, in a hospital in Tucson.


Desert etchings

Pescheret's desert etchings from Arizona, New Mexico and California blended his distinctive style with the stark landscapes, big skies, romantic architecture and magnificent coloring to produce some of his most indelible work. Many of his color images of Arizona were featured and distributed nationally in Arizona Highways Magazine.Arizona Daily Star, 24 Etching in U.A. Galleries, March 3, 1946


References


External links

* Many of Pescheret's works are listed online b
the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater's Harold G. Andersen Library
* Online version of the book "Chicago Welcomes You" with illustrations by Pescheret {{DEFAULTSORT:Pescheret, Leon 1892 births 1971 deaths 20th-century American illustrators Alumni of the University of Surrey American etchers 20th-century etchers American interior designers American printmakers Artists from the London Borough of Hounslow Artists from Tucson, Arizona British emigrants to the United States Designers from London English people of French descent People from Chiswick People from Whitewater, Wisconsin School of the Art Institute of Chicago alumni