On Trail Ridge by Lyman Byxbe

This is a drypoint etching titled On Trail Ridge by Colorado Artist Lyman Byxbe. It depicts a gnarled windblown pine tree backed by mountains under a clouded sky. Trail Ridge is in Rocky Mountain National Park where Byxbe created most of his images based in his Estes Park studio at the entrance to the park. Trail Ridge road has the distinction of being the highest continuous paved road in the U.S., reaching 12,183 feet elevation. This 48-mile scenic route connects Estes Park and Grand Lake Colorado and is known for its spectacular vistas. This is a small etching printed on a full sheet 6 x 8 inches in size. The plate mark is 3 x 4.75 inches. It is signed in pencil, Lyman Byxbe, lower right and the title is given lower left. Byxbe did not keep track of edition size. This was likely printed in his studio either by himself or his collaborator Richardson Rome. It is a crisp, well-inked impression. The drypoint is notably dark and sharp which really enhances the needles and cones of the pine and the surrounding grasses. There are no tears, paper loss, toning, fading, foxing, or staining. A wonderful piece of Colorado scenery by this well-loved artist.

Lyman Byxbe (1886-1990) is one of the most prolific and beloved artist of the West. He learned printmaking from Mark Levings, an Omaha architect. He did a few images from the Midwest, but visited Estes Park, Colorado in 1930 and set up a studio in short order. He spent the remainder of his life there. By the mid-thirties he was garnering national attention. He had a one man show of sixty-some items at the Smithsonian in 1937-38, and his reputation was made.
Byxbe produced works in virtually all artistic media, but is best known for his etchings. He frequently used the techniques of drypoint and aquatint to convey the dramatic scenery of Rocky Mountain National Park. He is best known for his small format etchings made for the tourist trade. He had a very egalitarian outlook on art. He was famously quoted, “I know my prices should be a little higher, but I have found out in the past my work is sold to the average class of people; therefore I have set my prices according to their pocket-books." This approach means that this wonderful art is still very available and affordable.