Description

In 1934, New York art dealer and publicist, Reeves Lewenthal, hatched a plan to form the Associated American Artists (AAA). The mission of the enterprise was to make art accessible, affordable and attractive to Americans. Lewenthal met with several American artists in Thomas Hart Benton’s New York studio. This group of talented, well-known artists were offered a flat artist fee of $200 to create original print stones and plates. From these the company produced limited edition etchings and lithographic prints. At the onset of AAA, these original impressions were available for five dollars each, and they were initially sold in department stores and later through mail order.