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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Historic imprint


Childe Hassam (American, 1859-1935),

Walking through the doors of the Jundt Art Museum is like walking into five centuries of printmaking history.

On view are two exhibitions of prints donated to Gonzaga University’s permanent collection by Dr. Norman and Esther Bolker.

“Artists’ Portraits” is up in the Arcade Gallery and “Collectors’ Choice” lines the walls of the Jundt Galleries.

The Bokers will attend a free public reception for both shows today from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Museum director J. Scott Patnode will talk about the collection at 7:30 p.m.

The exhibits reflect a thoughtful collection of European prints from the 15th through the 20th centuries.

“The works on display represent an excellent range of prints, not just technically, but historically,” said Patnode. “And this is only the tip of the iceberg; it is less than 10 percent of the Bolker Collection.”

The Bolkers, former Spokane residents and longtime Gonzaga benefactors, began collecting prints more than 40 years ago. Their first purchase was a colored woodcut, titled “Pisa” by Irving Amen, in 1964.

“When we started collecting, we were not at all educated in the processes of printmaking,” said Esther Bolker from their home in Corvallis, Ore. “We learned as we went along.”

The Bolkers talked with print experts and read numerous books explaining the technical side of collecting.

“There is actually quite an intricate process involved in buying a high quality, original print,” said Norman Bolker. “There are different things one looks for to make sure prints are originals, not just reproductions by printing presses or copying machines. Those mechanical reproductions might look good, but they do not have the touch of the artist that original art has.”

While different printmaking techniques – relief, intaglio, lithography and screen – enable an artist to create multiples of the same image, each one is an original work of art.

“Part of the excitement of buying a particular item,” Norman Bolker continued, “is knowing that the artist actually worked on that piece.”

A balanced approach

Throughout their four decades of collecting, the Bolkers had one strict rule.

“Although our viewpoints were slightly different, we both had to agree on every piece before we bought it,” said Esther Bolker.

That rule helped create a balance in the items they selected. The collection, primarily comprised of original Old Master and contemporary prints, also includes several drawings, watercolors and books.

Changes in art techniques and style throughout history fascinated the couple. By the time they had accumulated about 800 works, they had an interesting and eclectic collection.

There are examples of each of the different graphic arts procedures going back to the 15th century with engravings by Albrecht Durer.

“Durer was a wonderful artist,” said Norman Bolker. “It was an incredible thing in his time to master both engraving and a new way of reproducing images. He was the one who made the form popular and from whom other artists of the period learned.”

“What knocked me out when I read it,” added Esther Bolker, “is that the art of print engraving evolved directly from armor engraving.”

Durer got his start engraving armor.

“One of the curiosities in the collection is artwork by Paul Revere,” said Norman Bolker. “We knew he was an excellent silversmith, but before the time we bought this piece we didn’t realize he also did artwork.”

Other pieces in the “Collectors’ Choice” exhibition are works by Georges Braque, George Wesley Bellows, Marc Chagall, James Ensor, George Grosz, Childe Hassam, Stanley William Hayter, Eric Heckel, Kathe Kollwitz, John Marin, Juan Miró, Max Pechstein, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro, Rembrandt van Rijn, Ben Shahn, James McNeill Whistler and Anders Zorn.

The “Artists’ Portraits” exhibit features 16 portraits of famous artists including images by Ivan Albright, Muirhead Bone, Lovis Corinth, Antonio Frasconi, Rembrandt, Wallerant Vaillant, Sir Anthony Van Dyck and Cornelis Visscher.

Preserving the collection

“When you own a print,” state the Bolkers in the exhibit brochure, “you become responsible for its preservation. We believe that it is the owner’s responsibility to protect the prints so that they will be available for the enjoyment and education of future generations.”

In 1984, the Bolkers decided to start sharing their collection with others. Gonzaga University, Esther Bolker’s alma mater, was the logical place.

“Gonzaga has given me a lot,” she said.

Since the early ‘70s, the Bolkers have served the university in various ways. Both were on the Gonzaga Board of Regents and both are founding members and past presidents of Crosby Library Associates.

Over the years, as the Jundt Art Museum became a state-of-the-art facility for the conservation and display of art, the Bolkers increased their donation to more than 750 pieces.

“With Scott Patnode as director,” they said, “we know that the collection will be properly cared for and that it is being used for the purposes we intended – for art students to study and for the community to enjoy.”