John DePol (1913 - 2004)
Born in New York City, John DePol grew up in the West Village and attended evening classes in etching and lithography at the Art Students League. After his discharge from military service in World War II, DePol taught himself wood engraving and went on to collaborate with many private presses and his own Endgrain Press, producing a great number of illustrated limited edition books, together with many commemorative prints and portfolios. His work is part of permanent collections in libraries and universities here and abroad. His distinctive style and great talent have established John DePol as one of the finest wood engravers of the twentieth century. He died in New York.
Bell and Flag Court, Lycoming College
Two color wood engraving from "Sesquicentennial / Lycoming College / in Williamsport, Pennsylvania", a portfolio of six two-color wood engravings, each signed in the block by De Pol with printed caption below. Sheet size is 8-3/8" x 10-7/8; image sizes vary. The portfolio is offered as a complete set only. Edition of 300, printed in 1962. Fine condition. The next five images are also included in the complete portfolio.
$175 the set
Clarke Memorial Chapel, Lycoming College
From "Sesquicentennial / Lycoming College / in Williamsport, Pennsylvania", a portfolio of six two-color wood engravings by John De Pol. See descriptive information at "Bell and Flag Court, Lycoming College" above.
The Fine Arts Building, Lycoming College
From "Sesquicentennial / Lycoming College / in Williamsport, Pennsylvania", a portfolio of six two-color wood engravings by John De Pol. See descriptive information at "Bell and Flag Court, Lycoming College" above.
John W. Long Library, Lycoming College
From "Sesquicentennial / Lycoming College / in Williamsport, Pennsylvania", a portfolio of six two-color wood engravings by John De Pol. See descriptive information at "Bell and Flag Court, Lycoming College" above.
Tower of Old Main, Lycoming College
From "Sesquicentennial / Lycoming College / in Williamsport, Pennsylvania", a portfolio of six two-color wood engravings by John De Pol. See descriptive information at "Bell and Flag Court, Lycoming College" above.
Old Main, Lycoming College
From "Sesquicentennial / Lycoming College / in Williamsport, Pennsylvania", a portfolio of six two-color wood engravings by John De Pol. See descriptive information at "Bell and Flag Court, Lycoming College" above.
Exhibit Broadside
Letterpress broadside with wood engraving by John De Pol for an exhibit and workshop held at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, in 1985. Edition of 100. Engraving size 3-1/8" x 2½; overall size of sheet 6-5/8" x 12-7/8". Fine.
$45
The Blizzard
Wood engraving, 1987. Artist's proof, outside edition of 100. Image size 4-1/8" x 3-3/4"; sheet size 8-3/4” x 11½”. Titled and signed by De Pol in lower margin. Fine condition.
$75
Tribute to Charles V. Morris
Wood engraving, 1984. One of 26 proofs; created by John De Pol for a tribute to Charles V Morris, creator/editor of The Printing Week Library of Benjamin Franklin Keepsakes. Image size 3¼" x 3-3/4" on 5-3/4” x 8-3/4” sheet. Fine condition.
$50
The Eliot-Sturgis-Prescott-Dreher House
Wood engraving in two colors, 1960. Edition of approximately 100, signed in the block. Commissioned by Monroe F. Dreher. Image size 7" x 4-5/8"; sheet size 11" x 8½". Fine condition.
$250
El Campanil, Mills College
Wood engraving 1989. Edition of 40, initialed "D" in the block and labeled and signed in pencil by De Pol in the lower margin. Image size 4¼" x 5-1/8" on 8-3/4" x 11½" sheet. Fine condition.
$250
Faneuil Hall
Wood engraving in two colors, 1977. Edition of 500, signed in the block. Image size 4-3/8" x 6-5/8" on 8-3/8" x 11". A keepsake printed by and for Pandick Press, New York. Fine condition.
$75
For Burrnettle Press
Wood engraving, 1989. Edition of 30, signed in pencil by De Pol at lower right corner. Image size 4¼" x 3-3/8" on 8-3/4" x 11½" sheet. Fine condition.
$225
Benjamin Franklin
Wood engraving in two colors, signed in the block. Image size 2¼" x 3-3/4"; panel size 5¼" x 7¼. This engraving was created in 1956 but not used until this keepsake was issued for the 1982 Printing Week Dinner given by the New York Club of Printing House Craftsmen. Fine condition.
$50
Intersection
Wood engraving in two colors, 1978. Edition of 500. Image size 9¼" x 4-7/8"; sheet size 13" x 9". A keepsake printed and issued by Pandick Press, Inc. of New York. A fine copy.
$175
Colophon: Press of the Iron Horse
Wood engraving printed in red ink. Image size 2½" x 1-5/8" on 5½" x 8½" sheet. Date and size of edition unknown. John DePol created six wood engravings for the Press of the Iron Horse in 1953.
$20
Kelmscott House
Wood engraving, 1988. Edition not stated. Titled and signed by De Pol in lower margin. Image size 3-5/8" x 5-3/4" on 8-3/4" x 11½" sheet. Fine condition. Commissioned by Yellow Barn Press.
$275
Morris A. Gelfand
Wood engraving in blue ink, 1996; initialed in block. Image size 2-3/4" x 3-1/8"; panel size 5" x 6-3/8". John De Pol produced this engraving for a relocation announcement by his good friend, Morris A. Gelfand, proprietor of the Stone House Press in New York. From 1982 to 1994, De Pol created more than one hundred engravings for the Stone House Press, in addition to numerous broadsides, keepsakes, and the like. In 1988, Stone House Press published From Dark To Light. Wood Engravings for The Stone House Press a compendium of De Pol's work for the press from 1982 to 1988. Fine condition, with original mailing envelope.
$25
Tower, University Of Nebraska
Wood engraving 1985. Edition of 25, initialed "D" in the block. Image size 5" x 3-3/4" on 8-3/4" x 11½" sheet. A fine impression; there are ink marks on both the front and back of the sheet that do not affect the print.
$125
Noah Webster
Wood Engraving in two colors, edition of 350, 1974. Image 3-1/8" x 3-3/4", sheet size 8-1/8" x 10-7/8". Signed by De Pol in the block and titled and signed by De Pol in pen in the lower margin. First published in 1958 as a collaboration between De Pol and Ben Grauer, and reprinted here as a keepsake by the U. S. Banknote Corporation, New York. Tipped in to presentation folder. Fine condition, excepting for a printing blemish at right side of portrait border.
$120
Illustration For Yellow Barn Press
Wood engraving, 1985. Edition of 20, initialed "D" in the block. Image size 5-7/8" x 3¼" on 8-3/4" x 11½" sheet. Annotated and dated by De Pol in pencil at bottom of sheet. Fine condition.
$175
Illustration For Yellow Barn Press
Wood engraving, 1985. Edition of 20, initialed "D" in the block. Image size 6" x 4-1/8" on 8-3/4" x 11½" sheet. Annotated and dated by De Pol in pencil at bottom of sheet. Fine condition.
$175
The Old Manse
Wood engraving in two colors, 1977, Edition of 500. Image size 8" x 5-1/8"; sheet size 12" x 9". Signed in the block; typeset title and name below image. Keepsake printed and issued by Pandick Press, New York. Fine condition
$300
Illustration for Petrarch Press
Wood engraving, 1989; edition of 30. Image size 3½" x 5"; sheet size 8-3/4" x 11½". Initial "D" in block, signed by De Pol in pencil lower RH corner. An illustration for The Ascent of Mount Ventoux – A Letter From Petrarch. A very handsome image in fine condition.
$150
The Portland Head Lighthouse
Wood engraving in two colors, 1977, edition of 500, signed in the block. Image size 4¼" x 6½"; sheet size 8-3/8" x 11". Keepsake printed and distributed by Pandick Press, New York. Fine condition
$250
The Queen Of Spades
Wood engraving, 1987. Edition of 100, labeled and signed in pencil by De Pol in the lower margin. Image size 4-3/8" x 3¼" on 8½" x 11½" sheet. A wonderful engraving in fine overall condition, and the perfect gift for hearts aficionados.
$300
The Rowfant Club
Wood engraving, edition of 310, 1989. Image size 5¼" x 3½"; sheet size 10" x 8". Initialed "D" in the block. A keepsake created by De Pol and printed by Neil Shaver at The Yellow Barn Press in commemoration of De Pol's lecture on the making of wood engravings at the Rowfant Club, Cleveland Ohio. Fine condition.
$250
Sermon On The Mount
Wood engraving in two colors, 1955. This print from an edition of 30, printed by the artist in 1993. Image size 3½" x 4½"; sheet size 8½" x 11". The block was commissioned by The World Publishing Company, Cleveland and New York, for a book of the same name published in 1955. De Pol illustrated the edition, but this image was not used. Inscribed in pencil to his friend Whitney McDermut: "For whit... done for World Publishing Company - "Sermon On The Mount" - not used. J." Fine condition
$300
The Church of St. Luke In The Fields
Wood engraving in two colors, 1981. Edition of 200 printed directly from the blocks by Pandick Press, Inc. Image size 7-3/8" x 4½"; sheet size 11-3/4" x 8¼". Signed in the block; labeled and signed by John De Pol in lower margin. A keepsake issued in support of the restoration of the church following a serious fire. Fine condition.
$250
An edition of 1000 was printed by offset and is also available. Fine condition.
$25
Ulster Railway Station
Wood engraving, signed in the block, 1957. Image size 5-3/8" x 4" on a 10-7/8" x 8-3/8" sheet. This print from an edition of 350 with printed title was issued in 1975. An additional edition of 100, signed by De Pol, was donated by the artist to the Society of American Graphic Artists. Fine condition.
SOLD
The Shot
Wood engraving, 1987. Edition of 100, titled and signed in pencil by De Pol in lower margin, initialed "D" in block. Image size 4¼" x 3¼" on 8-3/4" x 11½" sheet. Fine condition.
$175
William Morris
Wood engraving 1989, edition unknown. Labeled and signed in pencil by De Pol in lower margin. Image size 4" x 5"; sheet size 8½" x 11-1/8". Commissioned by the Yellow Barn Press for The Kelmscott Press Golden Legend, published in 1990. A fine copy.
$275
William Morris
Wood engraving in two colors, 1984; edition of 85. Labeled and signed by De Pol lower margin. Image size 3½" x 4-7/8"; sheet size 8-3/4" x 11½". A fine copy.
$275
Thomas Hardy
Wood engraving in two colors, 1977. This print from an edition of 120, printed by the artist in 1995, labeled and signed by John De Pol in the lower margin. Image size 3-3/4" x 5-3/8"; sheet size 8½" x 11". Originally commissioned by The Easton Press as the frontispiece for their edition of Jude The Obscure. Fine condition.
$275
The Squire's Daughter
Wood engraving, 1987; edition of 100. Titled and signed in pencil by De Pol in lower margin and initialed "D" in block. Image size 4¼" x 3-3/8" on 8-3/4" x 11½" sheet. Fine condition.
$150
South Street Seaport
Wood engraving, 1988. Edition of 200, initialed in the block. Image size 5" x 3-3/8" on 11" x 15" sheet of Fabriano Artistico pape. This engraving is the frontispiece for The Wood Engraving Portfolio, published by Bowne & Co., New York. Fine overall condition
$75
The same block was used to print the prospectus for the portfolio, using a different paper than the portfolio leaves. The sheet size is 7½" x 11". Fine overall condition.
$40
Pioneer
Wood engraving, edition of 200. Numbered (142/200), titled, and signed in pencil by De Pol in lower margin. Image size 3½" x 2¼" on 11" x 15" sheet of Fabriano Artistico paper. This print was commissioned by Bowne & Co. Stationers and Printers of New York and publishers of The Wood Engraving Portfolio. Fine overall condition.
$100