Gala 2025 Auction Lot 14: Letterio Calapai

Letterio CalapaiBoston,MA 1901–1993 Glencoe, ILAerialist, 1949 Aquatint and etching on paper, 17 ½ × 21 ¼ inches Edition TP3 | Publisher: Atelier 17 Value: $3,325 Courtesy of Dolan/Maxwell Gallery Framing courtesy of Frugal Framer Born in Boston to a family of Sicilian immigrants, Italian American printmaker and educator Letterio Calapai was a key figure in the development of American printmaking. He is known for his social realist and politically themed work, which drew stylistically on German Expressionism and Post-Expressionism. His printmaking often took inspiration from literature, including the works of William Carlos Williams and Thomas Wolfe. Over his long career, Calapai worked for the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Arts Project and participated in the famed Atelier 17, alongside Stanley William Hayter. With Hayter’s support, Calapai established a printmaking department at the University at Buffalo and later taught at Brandeis University. Calapai's works are held in n