Margaret Jordan Patterson

(probably) Acquired circa the 1990s by the present owner

The Art Institute of Chicago, The Sixth International Water Color Exhibition, 1926, no. 226

Margaret Jordan Patterson began her artistic career under the tutelage of Arthur Wesley Dow at the Pratt Institute. Her greatest influence, however, came from her extended travels across Europe, where she learned printmaking from Ethel Mars in Paris. Making her first print in 1911, she began using woodcuts as a method to reproduce her paintings. Later on, she pivoted her focus and produced her watercolors primarily as studies for her prints.

The Valley Uscio exhibits hallmarks of Patterson’s celebrated printmaking career, flattening space and depth to create distinct layers defined by vibrant color. Inspired by or executed during Patterson’s time in Italy, the present work showcases Patterson’s characteristic cobalt tones combined with Mediterranean light.