Wharton Esherick

Wharton Esherick studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia but did not graduate. He was primarily a wood sculptor, but sometimes devoted himself to painting. Above all, he was fascinated by the discovery of articles of daily use in a new design or a new form and became one of the leading artists in the field of non-traditional designs. In addition to furniture and furnishings, in which he avoided right angles and straight lines, he also developed complete interiors. Esherick was considered the most important US wood designer of his time but had few stylistic successors. He was an uncle of well-known architect Joseph Esherick (1914-98). In 1972 his home studio in Paoli was converted into the Wharton Esherick Museum outside of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

In 1932, Wharton Esherick presented two woodcuts. The motif of Winter Play was 17 x 11 cm, the sheet 39 x 27 cm. “Hors concours”, possibly because it was created in 1927 prior to the previous Olympics, he showed Surf Fishing in the format 19 x 20 cm.