FRANCIS, Sam, Lyre Eight

This prolific, Californian artist created the bulk of his signature works during the mid-20th century. Echoing the style of his contemporaries, the… [Read biography »]

Signed Sam Francis (1923 - 1994), Original Color Serigraph, Lyre Eight

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Description:
Artist:	Francis, Sam (1923 - 1994)
Title:	Lyre Eight
Medium:	Original Color Serigraph
Image Size:	55 in x 43 in (149 cm x 109 cm)
Sheet Size:	55 in x 43 in (149 cm x 109 cm)
Framed Size:	68 in x 56 in (173 cm x 142 cm)
Signed:	Hand signed by Sam Francis (1923 - 1994) in pencil in the lower right margin
Edition:	Numbered 1/50 in pencil in the lower right margin (to the left of the signature)
Condition:	This work is in very good condition, colors are bright and fresh
Price : Item# 2148	$9,500 (BUY $100,000 IN FINE ART AND GET $100,000 IN FINE ART FREE!!!) To speak directly with the Director, Alex Adelman, please call (510) 777-9970 / 1-800-805-7060.

Sam Francis, a prolific Californian artist was known for several works that echoed the famed Abstract Expressionist movement during the mid-20th century. The momentum of his splashes of color, particularly in Lyre Eight, is intriguing and his color palette is whimsical and playful. The composition of the color splotches are focused around the sheet edges, creating a type of inner frame and composition to the piece. Catalogue Raisonné & COA: It is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work). 1. A Masterworks Fine Art, Inc. Certificate of Authenticity will accompany the piece. About the Framing: Conservation framed with archival materials and museum quality, this work is set in a sleek, modern black and gold frame. The concave detailing of the moulding accentuates the large organic shapes in this work. Contrasting black and gold stepped elements complement the bold colors of this piece. The framing is completed with white, linen-wrapped mats and a matching gold inner fillet. This work is set behind an archival Plexiglas® cover.

Biography of Sam Francis

Sam Francis (1923 - 1994)

This prolific, Californian artist created the bulk of his signature works during the mid-20th century. Echoing the style of his contemporaries, the Abstract Expressionists, his boldly-colored, monochromatic pieces made way for the more exciting, movement-driven, multi-faceted splatter/brush paintings. His later works focused areas of paint and color around the canvas edges, exposing the white and blank spaces in between.

Born in San Mateo, California during the roaring 20s, Francis attended the University of California, Berkeley where he was vested in the study of sciences – particularly, botany, medicine, and psychology. He was later to serve in the U.S. army during WWII where he was seriously injured and spent several years, bed-ridden in the hospital.

It was during his time in the hospital ward that Francis learned how to paint and expressed his emotions and frustrations of his medical ailments through his works. Upon his release from the hospital, Francis spent some time traveling during the 1950s throughout Paris and later, Japan.

Ref.

Herskovic, M. (2003). American Abstract Expressionism of the 1950s An Illustrated Survey. New York School Press: New York.

Plagens, P. (March 1999). Sunny side up - abstract expressionist painter Sam Francis. Artforum.