William S. Rice: Art & Life

William S. Rice (1873–1963), one of the most gifted block print artists of the American Arts and Crafts Movement, created humble yet stunning images that were in harmony with the aesthetics of the Craftsman style. A masterful watercolorist, distinguished teacher, and avid outdoorsman as well, Rice found enduring inspiration in nature—from sweeping vistas to single blossoms. William S. Rice: Art & Life is the first retrospective devoted to the artist. Author Ellen Treseder Sexauer, Rice’s granddaughter, presents a synthesis of scholarly and uniquely personal perspectives, examining the artist’s development, artistic methods, and private life. Insightful passages from interviews with Roberta Rice Treseder, Rice’s daughter, and illuminating excerpts from Rice’s own published articles and books provide an intimate portrait of Rice as artist, naturalist, teacher, writer, and father. More than 300 illustrations—including a wealth of full-color reproductions of paintings and prints along with black-and-white drawings and photographs—convey the mastery of Rice’s work and the breadth of his achievements.

William S. Rice

William Seltzer Rice (American, 1873–1963) found endless inspiration in nature, creating a vast number of watercolors, drawings, photographs, and prints. He moved to his adopted home of Northern California in 1900, just before the region’s Arts and Crafts movement ignited. A prolific watercolorist, Rice taught at various San Francisco Bay Area schools, including the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland—a center for the movement. He became devoted to block printing for its suitability to the Arts and Crafts ethos of making artwork available to a wide audience at modest cost. Being a skilled craftsman as well as an artist, Rice designed, carved, and printed the blocks all himself. Today his masterful artwork can be found in public and private collections worldwide.