Braque, Georges, Hommage à J. S. Bach, 1956
Georges Braque was born on May 13, 1882, in Argenteuil-sur-Seine, France. He grew up in Le Havre and studied evenings at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts t… [Read biography »]
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Signed Georges Braque, Original color etching & aquatint on BFK Rives watermarked paper, Hommage à J. S. Bach, 1956  |
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| Artist: | Braque, Georges (1882 - 1963) |
|---|---|
| Title: | Hommage à J. S. Bach, 1956 |
| Reference: | Ma.1019 |
| Medium: | Original color etching & aquatint on BFK Rives watermarked paper |
| Image Size: | 23 in x 17 1/4 in (58.4 cm x 43.8 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 29 7/8 in x 22 in (75.9 cm x 55.9 cm) |
| Framed Size: | approx. 41 1/2 in x 36 in (105.4 cm x 91.4 cm) |
| Signed: | Hand signed by Georges Braque (1882 - 1963) |
| Edition: | Numbered 190/300 in pencil in the lower left margin |
| Condition: | This work is in excellent condition, a fine dark impression with full margins and a clearly define plate mark. |
Price :Item# 2437 | $25,000  To speak directly with the Director, Alex Adelman, please call (510) 777-9970 / 1-800-805-7060. |
| Description: | |
Published by Maeght éditeur, Paris c.1956, this work is part of a series of lithographs and etchings that were based upon artist Georges Braque's original watercolors, gouaches and paintings. Numbered 109/300 in pencil in the lower left margin, this work was printed in collaboration with Georges Visat under the direction of Braque; Visat’s name is engraved in the plate in the lower left. Hand signed by Georges Braque (1882 – 1963) in pencil in the lower right margin, this original etching was based on an original painting created between 1911 and 1912. Braque was very involved in the printing process, overseeing either the engraver or lithographer, correcting the proofs when necessary. Exhibiting the artist’s revolutionary style and technique, this work is an impressive visual translation of the emotional effect music has on the artistic mind. Utilizing a cubist dislocation and reinterpretation of form which Braque is famed for, hints of the subject matter of this work are apparent upon close inspection. Just below the center of the work the letters ‘BACH JS’ reveal to the viewer what the artist is illustrating, a visual interpretation of the beauty and splendor of classical music. Composed primarily in natural earth tones of brown, yellow, black, tan and grey, the linear dissection of the page appears like music notes on a scale at varying heights, lengths and tones in a unified composition. The painterly quality of the work adds a richness of depth and texture, giving the viewer a visual sense of the layered effect sound can create when it is a masterpiece. Pieces of musical instruments are revealed as one looks closely at the work, at the right a curved end of a stringed instrument makes us wonder if it could be a violin or a cello and from what musical work the artist was inspired by. The ‘S’ curves at the center of the image appear to be a continuation of the same instrument, with hints of the base and strings dispersed nearby. At the center, Braque uses deeper tones of brown and grey, and as the work expands out the edges of the page he uses lighter and brighter hues, giving a sense of lightness to the image. Illustrated In: About The Framing: | |
| Style: | Picasso Cubism, Cubist 20th Century French Modern Master |
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Biography of Georges Braque
Georges Braque (1882 - 1963)
Georges Braque was born on May 13, 1882, in Argenteuil-sur-Seine, France. He grew up in Le Havre and studied evenings at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts there from about 1897 to 1899. He left for Paris to study under a master decorator to receive his craftsman certificate in 1901. From 1902 to 1904, he painted at the Académie Humbert in Paris, where he met Marie Laurencin and Francis Picabia. By 1906, Braque's work was no longer Impressionist but Fauve in style; after spending that summer in Antwerp with Othon Friesz, he showed his Fauve work the following year in the Salon des Indépendants in Paris. His first solo show was at Daniel-Henri Kahnweiler's gallery in 1908. From 1909, Pablo Picasso and Braque worked together in developing Cubism; by 1911, their styles were extremely similar. In 1912, they started to incorporate collage elements into their paintings and to experiment with the papier collé (pasted paper) technique. Their artistic collaboration lasted until 1914. Braque served in the French army during World War I and was wounded; upon his recovery in 1917, he began a close friendship with Juan Gris.
After World War I, Braque's work became freer and less schematic. His fame grew in 1922 as a result of an exhibition at the Salon d'Automne in Paris. In the mid-1920s, Braque designed the decor for two Sergei Diaghilev ballets. By the end of the decade, he had returned to a more realistic interpretation of nature, although certain aspects of Braque's Cubism always remained present in his work. In 1931, Braque made his first engraved plasters and began to portray mythological subjects. His first important retrospective took place in 1933 at the Kunsthalle Basel. He won First Prize at the Carnegie International, Pittsburgh, in 1937.
During World War II, Braque remained in Paris. His paintings at that time, primarily still lifes and interiors, became more somber. In addition to paintings, he also made Braque etchings, lithographs, engravings, prints and sculpture. From the late 1940s, he treated various recurring themes, such as birds, ateliers, landscapes, and seascapes. In 1954, he designed stained-glass windows for the church of Varengeville. During the last few years of his life, Braque's ill health prevented him from undertaking further large-scale commissions, but he continued to paint, make lithographs, and design jewelry. He died on August 31, 1963, in Paris.
