$850
Geese
RIPLEY, Aiden Lassell
Etching on laid paper, circa 1930.Edition unknown, but likely small, like most of Ripley’s prints.Signed and titled in pencil.
Aiden Lassell RIPLEY
Aiden Lassell RIPLEY (American, 1896-1969) was born in Wakefield, Massachusetts. From a young age, Ripley found a calling in the arts–one notable inspiration being his father, who played for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Ripley began artistic studies in earnest at the Fenway School of Illustration in 1914 under Philip Leslie, until his decision to enlist in 1917. After the war Ripley resumed his studies at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston under Frank Benson and Philip Hale. He later won the Paige Traveling Fellowship, which led him to Africa, France, and The Netherlands from December of 1923 until 1925, with his newlywed wife, Doris. Upon his return, Ripley was granted membership in the Guild of Boston Artists, paving the way for his first one-man show at the Guild in 1926, which is said to have been a keystone in establishing his reputation. However, Ripley’s masterful European landscapes only took him so far until he–like many other artists–struggled to sell work during the Great Depression in 1929. During this period of time, Ripley took up sporting are, which would prove to be his most successful genre. Sporting art was his ticket to a successful one-man show in 1930. Through the Depression years Ripley also obtained funding from the United States Government's Works Progress Administration, completing a notable mural for the Lexington Post Office in 1939. By the end of his life, Ripley was still producing sporting artworks and was a member of the Boston Guild of Artists, Boston Watercolor Society, Boston Art Club, American Watercolor Society, American Artists Professional League, Audubon Artists, National Society of Mural Painters, New York Watercolor Society, Allied Artists of America, Copley Society, and more.