Blanche Lazzell (1878 - 1956)

Blanche Lazzell

Blanche Lazzell is an American graphic artist and designer. She became known for her works in the modernist style, especially in printmaking and woodcarving and white prints. Leisel began her artistic career in New York City, where she studied at the Art Students League and Art Students League.

In 1905, she continued her studies at the Académie Julien in Paris and studied printmaking under printmaker Paul Emile Beck. In 1912 Leisel returned to the United States and moved to Connecticut, where she became a member of the famous Stonington Art Colony. There she began experimenting with woodcarving and created a series of works called Woodblock Prints, which brought her great popularity. Leisel was one of the first artists to use the technique of card engraving (a technique in which the studio uses a card knife to carve an image onto a printed plate).

She also used many other techniques, including cast metal, wood engraving and linocut. The artist has received numerous awards and honors, including membership in the Academy of Folk Art Design, as well as fellowships and awards from national art organizations. Her work is in the permanent collections of many museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC.