Born in Brunswick, New Jersey, Leonard Baskin attended Yale University. While still a student, inspired by William Blake's work, he founded the Gehenna Press, a small private press that produced fine, limited-edition books. As a printmaker he worked in many media, including etching, woodcut, and wood engraving. He liked to explore his favorite subjects—mythological figures, birds, and artist portraits—across multiple media, producing prints, watercolor paintings, and sculptures. From 1953 through 1974, he taught at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. Baskin lived in England for nine years, collaborating on projects with his close friend, the poet Ted Hughes. His public sculpture commissions include low relief panels for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, DC.
