Fred Becker

"John Henry & The Witch Woman"
c. 1935–1940

A black and white print depicting a stylized scene with two human figures and a bird-like creature. The figure on the left has a heart shape on their chest and is facing the bird-like creature, which appears to be speaking to them. The background figure seems to be an outline of a person with a wavy line suggesting speech or breath. The artwork has a caption at the bottom reading "Human Energy & the Witch Woman" by P. Robles. The paper shows signs of aging around the edges.

Not on view

Date
c. 1935–1940

Classification
Prints

Medium
Wood engraving

Dimensions
Sheet (Irregular): 11 1/8 × 8 3/4in. (28.3 × 22.2 cm) Image: 6 1/16 × 4 1/2in. (15.4 × 11.4 cm)

Accession number
93.15.4

Edition
Edition possibly 15

Credit line
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase, with funds from the Katherine Schmidt Shubert Purchase Fund and the Print Committee

Rights and reproductions
© artist or artist’s estate

API
artworks/8328

Part of a series:

John Henry Suite

10 works

Intricate black and white etching of a fantastical underwater scene with a grinning figure and marine life.

A black and white woodcut print titled "Black River Country" by artist Paul Becker, depicting a stylized landscape with a sun or moon with radiating lines in the sky, swirling clouds, abstract trees, and a figure in a boat on a river. The image has a dark foreground with white line details and is mounted on a larger, aged paper with the artist's name and title at the bottom.

Vintage book cover for "John Henry and His Carvings" with stylized black and white illustration by Becker.

A black and white print titled "Johnny Mercy Looming O'er Us" by Earl B. Dickerson, featuring a stylized figure with an exaggerated, textured hairstyle standing over a cityscape with various patterns and a small figure in the foreground. The print is signed by the artist and has a handwritten name, "Lesley Coburn," at the bottom.

A black and white print of a stylized hand with intricate patterns and symbols etched into the palm and fingers, surrounded by a dark border. The artwork is signed at the bottom with the text "garden jungle hand" followed by a signature. The paper on which the print is made appears aged with slight discoloration around the edges.

Fred Becker
11 works in the collection

View artist

Fred Becker

"John Henry & The Witch Woman" c. 1935–1940

Fred Becker 11 works in the collection

"John Henry & The Witch Woman"
c. 1935–1940

Fred Becker
11 works in the collection