Exhibition Overview
In The Tower of Babel: An Anthology, 1975, Claire Van Vliet (American, born Canada, b. 1933) observes the human condition by examining the origin of language. This unbound book of seventeen lithographs and one woodcut – on display for the first time – is shown alongside two prints by Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945), whose expressive prints serve as inspiration for Van Vliet. In this series of prints, dramatic images of architecture and portraiture exemplify Van Vliet’s skill as a printmaker, while an overarching theme of human behavior connects the Biblical messages to the present day.
Claire Van Vliet
American (b. Canada), b. 1933
Illustration for The Great Wall and The Tower of Babel by Franz Kafka from The Tower of Babel: An Anthology, 1975, lithograph, 6/100, Gift of Isabel Ehrlich Goodman and Charles F. Goodman 90.19.22f