Samuel Colman:
A Catalogue of the Artist’s Etchings

Who made this?

Hi, I'm Chris. I collect European and American works on paper from the 15th through 21st centuries, with a particular emphasis on the history of etching. My interest in Samuel Colman was sparked by the chance purchase of a small cache of the artist's drawings in 2021. I started creating this catalogue in the hazy days after the birth of my second child and have continued to work it off and on since then.

To reach me, please email chrisgroskopf@gmail.com.

Will you add my etching/photo to the catalogue?

Yes! If you believe you have an unrecorded Colman etching, please email me photos of the front and back. Many of Colman's etchings were printed in extremely small numbers and never editioned, so it's likely there are more out there I have not seen. Permission to use photos in this catalogue is always appreciated.

How should I cite this website?

Here's CMS style for reference:

Groskopf, Christopher. Samuel Colman: A Catalogue of the Artist's Etchings, accessed [today's date], colmanetchings.com.

The specific catalogue numbers associated with each etching will not change and can be used to reference specific etchings. You can get a link directly to a particular etching by clicking the `#` icon next to the number and copying from the url your browser's location bar.

Are you also working on a catalogue raisonné of Colman's paintings?

I was, but it turned out to be too massive a project for the time I have available. I have scaled back to focus on prints for now. That being said, I do have a very large body of research concerning Colman's paintings (more than 250 identified, not including watercolors), and would be happy to share information with other researchers.

What sources did you use to create this catalogue?

This catalogue was compiled from the published collections of 100 museums and 23 galleries. I also reviewed hundreds of auction records and more than 300 written sources. Nearly all research for this project was conducted online, so there are undoubtedly things I've missed hiding in collections that have not been digitized.

Did Colman make any prints that aren't etchings?

Apparently not. I've uncovered no examples of engravings, woodcuts, or drypoints. This is not particularly surprising given the fad for etching in Colman's artistic circle. There are a handful of prints by other artist's that reproduce paintings or drawings by Colman, but none are especially noteworthy.

Can you tell me how much my Colman artwork is worth?

I am neither qualified nor certified as an appraiser. Colman's etchings typically sell in the low hundreds of dollars. His finest paintings have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. To have a specific work valued for sale or insurance, please seek out a professional appraiser.

Will you buy my Colman artwork?

Maybe. I am an opportunistic collector and do not pay gallery prices, but if you just like the idea of selling to someone who really cares about Colman's work, email me.

How did you create this website?

This website has been designed to be really fast. It's built using Astro web framework. Styling is handled with Tailwind CSS. The source is hosted on Github and the site is deployed to Amazon S3. Edge caching and SSL are provided by CloudFront.

Made by Christopher Groskopf in Oakland, CA.