Sugar Maple, New Hampshire c. 1940 - 1969

Leo Meissner made this print, Sugar Maple, New Hampshire, and just look at the labor involved! It’s a process of patiently building up form, line by line. There is such a density to the marks in this piece, and the way the tree fills the frame is really striking. The tree trunk is built up by tiny hatch marks with the burin, like a three-dimensional object emerging from the flat page. Meissner makes use of this painstaking labor to direct the eye across the landscape. The whole composition is a play of contrasts between the solidity of the tree and the open space beyond, the smooth surface of the snow, and the jagged textures of the foliage. I’m reminded of other printmakers, like Whistler, who also had a fascination with atmospheric effects. It's a great example of how an artist can create something new from a traditional medium, inviting us to slow down and appreciate the world around us.