We made a memorable trip to New York back in the early 2000s. While we were there, we did a bit of thrift and flea market shopping. That’s when we picked up a couple of framed prints (the two images at the top of the montage) by someone who signed the work, ‘Wert’. After a bit or research, we discovered they were by Robert Darr Wert.
Wert (1915-1966) was an artist who specialised in screen-printing, working from his Country Prints Studio on his 150-acre farm on River Road south of Gill, Franklin County, Massachusetts.
What first attracted us to his work was his naive, folk art style, We’ve seen his designs as screen-printed wall hangings, tea towels, ceramic tiles and trivets.
He died tragically, collapsing from a heart attack triggered by a large fire on his farm, which was sparked by an electric fault in a sheep barn.
His work is reasonably priced and can be found on Etsy and from US-based eBayers. Fortunately, as his textile items are so small and weigh very little, many sellers are willing to ship overseas.
As we’ve recently downsized, we’ve just listed for sale, one of our New York-bought prints in our online shop.
