Alviso Farmyard
Woodcut printed in colors, circa 1925, edition fewer than 15. 10 1/4 x 13 1/2 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This fine impression is printed on a fibrous Japanese paper. The margins are full. The condition is fine. The colors are fresh. Provenance: Annex Galleries.
SOLD

Alviso Slough
Woodcut printed in colors, 1920, Treseder plate 20, edition fewer than 15. 9 1/8 x 12 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a very fine impression printed on sturdy, fibrous Japanese paper. The margins are full. The condition is fine other than for two subtle stains in the upper left and upper right margin corners, away from the image. The scene is near San Jose, CA. Provenance: Annex Galleries.
SOLD

Anemones
Woodcut printed in colors, circa 1925, from a small edition, perhaps 15 impressions. 9 x 12 in. Signed and titled in pencil. Here we have a superb impression printed on light cream Japanese paper. The margins are full and the condition is fine. This exemplary work is one of several floral prints by Rice. He would often use this dark background, similar to the work of Margaret Patterson, to accentuate the vibrancy of the colors. "During the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition San Francisco, Rice had a chance to study and absorb the techniques of the Japanese woodcuts that he was to incorporate into his own working knowledge of the medium. In 1918, the first major exhibition of his color woodcuts hung at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor. Though he gained national recognition for his printmaking, Rice embodied the Craftsman spirit, painting with watercolor and oil, and working in ceramics, hammered copper, and woodworking. He authored three books on the subject of block printing, including Block Prints: How to Make Them, and penned articles on naturalist subjects for Sunset Magazine." (from the Annex Galleries website entry for Bert's Iris.) Ex-collection: Reba Williams, New York.
$4,500

Callas
White line woodcut printed in colors, 1925, from a small edition; 15-20 impressions. 12 3/4 x 11 3/4 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a superb, luminous impression with wide margins printed on a white textured paper. The condition is fine apart from two exceedingly faint stain lines in the upper corners of the margins. Rice did a few prints of Calla Lilies and this is one of the very best. This print is illustrated on page 52 of "William S. Rice: California Block Prints" by Roberta Rice Treseder. The impression in this book appears to pale in comparison to the one we are offering here. Rice was born in Pennsylvania and later moved to California where he taught printmaking at the Alameda and Oakland public schools. Rice was a true craftsman and he authored two books on the subject of block printing. The white line technique, which he used for making this print, originated in Provincetown, MA. Only one block is needed to make the print. Ex-collection: Reba White Williams, New York.
$5,000

Marsh Moon
Woodcut printed in colors, circa 1925, edition probably 15-20. 7 1/8 x 9 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a fine impression printed on a medium Japanese paper. The margins are about 1/2" on all sides and they have reinforced breaks on the left and right sides. (Breaks can occur from excessive pressure in the printing process.) This work is illustrated on page 42 of Arthur Wesley Dow and American Arts and Crafts by Nancy Green and Jessie Poesch (1999). That impression varies from ours in the added printing for the clouds at top. Variations such as this are found in Rice's work and among so many other creative blockprint artists.
SOLD

Pink Orchids
Woodcut printed in colors, 1927, edition about 15-20. 9 1/16 x 12 1/4 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a superb impression on Japanese paper. The condition is fine apart from a small paper loss at each corner of the top margin, away from the image. This is a stellar example of Rice's work. He designed, cut and printed his own blocks without assistance.
$4,000

Poppies
Woodcut printed in colors, circa 1925, from a small edition, perhaps 15. 13 1/8 x 10 1/8 in. Signed in pencil, lower right, within the image. This is a fine impression trimmed to the image by the artist. The condition is fine. The paper is a sturdy wove. This exemplary work is one of several outstanding floral prints by Rice. He would often use this dark background, similar to the work of Margaret Patterson, to accentuate the vibrancy of the colors. Ex-collection: Reba Williams, New York.
$4,000

Primroses
Woodcut printed in colors, circa 1920, small edition. 9 x 12 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a superb impression of this rare print. The margins are full and the condition is excellent. Rice produced several floral images with a dark background as we have here. Rice was born in Pennsylvania and later moved to California where he taught printmaking at the Alameda and Oakland public schools. Rice was a true craftsman and he authored two books on the subject of block printing.
SOLD

Ships of Yesterday
Woodcut printed in colors, circa 1926, edition probably about 15. 10 1/2 x 8 3/8 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a fine impression printed on wove paper. The margins are modest but this appears to be the full sheet as printed. The condition is fine apart from two old paper hinges at the top corner margins. There's a very similar image by Rice bearing the same title. It's illustrated on page 69 of William S. Rice, California Block Prints by Roberta Rice Treseder (2009). The location for this print is most likely the Oakland Estuary.
$1,800

Snowed In - Calaveras Big Tree Hotel
Woodcut printed in colors, circa 1930, edition probably about 15. 8 3/4 x 12 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a fine impression in very good condition. The margins are substantial and probably untrimmed. This print came to us in the original mat and there is just a faint trace of discoloration within the old opening and old paper tape hinges at the top corners, recto. The outstanding California woodcut is exemplary of Rice's best work in the medium.
SOLD

Spatterdocks
Woodcut printed in colors, circa 1930, edition probably about 15. 8 1/8 x 9 1/8 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a fine impression printed on japanese paper. The margins appear to be full. The condition is fine apart from two subtle stain lines just touching the upper corners of the image. This is barely noticeable in the mat. This rare print is from the collection of Reba White Williams, NY.
$3,500

Western Dogwood
Woodcut printed in colors, circa 1925-30, edition probably about 15-20 impressions. 11 1/8 x 9 in. Signed and titled in pencil. Here we have a fine impression printed on thin Japan paper. The margins appear to be full. The condition is fine apart from a few reinforced wrinkles in the upper right corner of the image. These are not at all noticeable. This print is, at least in part, a white line woodcut. The artist also added hand coloring to the flower buds. Rice was born in Pennsylvania and later moved to California where he taught printmaking at the Alameda and Oakland public schools. Rice was a true craftsman and he authored two books on the subject of block printing. Ex-collection: Reba White Williams, NY.
$2,800

Yellow Calla
White line woodcut printed in colors, circa 1925, from a very small edition. 9 1/4 x 6 in. Signed and titled in pencil. This is a superb, luminous impression printed on fibrous Japanese paper. The margins are full and the condition is fine. (The original paper tape hinges are at the top corners, recto.) Rice was born in Pennsylvania and later moved to California where he taught printmaking at the Alameda and Oakland public schools. Rice was a true craftsman and he authored two books on the subject of block printing. The white line technique, which he used for making this print, originated in Provincetown, MA. Only one block is needed to make the print.
SOLD