Douglas Hall Entitled Teasel, this 1931 woodcut on paper still life is by Douglas Hall (1885–1958). Hall was an American painter, sculptor, and graphic artist associated with the artistic currents of the early 20th century, including the Works Progress Administration era. Born on November 4, 1885, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Hall was raised in an academically engaged household; his father, Dr. Louis P. Hall, was affiliated with the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. Hall’s early education took place in Ann Arbor, where he graduated from high school before pursuing further studies at Michigan State University, the University of Wisconsin, and ultimately the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he received formal artistic training. His time in Chicago proved especially formative; he maintained a long professional association with the Art Institute, working as an artist within its orbit for many years. Hall’s practice spanned multiple disciplines, including painting, sculpture, and graphic arts (including his early woodcuts and linocuts) reflecting the versatility encouraged among artists during the interwar and New Deal periods. His work aligns with a generation of American artists who balanced fine art with applied and commercial practices. At a later stage in his career, he expanded into entrepreneurship, establishing a ceramics business, further demonstrating his engagement with both artistic production and craft-based industry. Although much of his oeuvre remains unknown, Hall’s work is represented in the permanent collection of the University of Michigan Museum of Art, which holds his print Jack & Jinny. This connection underscores his enduring ties to Ann Arbor, the city of his birth and early development. Hall spent significant portions of his life in Michigan, including Ann Arbor and Grosse Ile (where he moved in 1911), before later relocating to Illinois. He died in 1958 at the age of 72 in Flossmoor, Illinois. 1931 Woodcut on Paper 13.5"x15.5" framed, 8"x10" unframed Signed, dated and titled at the bottom. Framed in a restored vintage decorative wood frame with a wide face using black archival spacers behind plexiglass. Excellent vintage condition.
