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Email to FriendSigned Georges Braque, Aquatint, Oiseau Multicolore (Multicolor Bird), c. 1956  |
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| Artist: | Braque, Georges (1882 - 1963), After |
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| Title: | Oiseau Multicolore (Multicolor Bird), c. 1956 |
| Reference: | Ma.1020 |
| Medium: | Color aquatint on BFK Rives paper |
| Image Size: | 19 5/8 in x 10 3/8 in (49.9 cm x 26.4 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 25 in x 17 3/4 in (63.5 cm x 45 cm) |
| Framed Size: | 40 1/2 in x 32 1/4 in (102.9 cm x 81.9 cm) |
| Signed: | Hand signed by Georges Braque (Argenteuil-sur-Seine, 1882- Paris, 1963) in pencil in the lower right margin with embossed blindstamp of Aldo Crommelynck, Paris |
| Edition: | Numbered 75/200 in pencil in the lower left margin, published by Maeght, Paris and printed by Aldo Crommelynck, Paris |
| Condition: | Excellent condition with bright, vivid color throughout; miscellaneous pencil notations on the reverse of the sheet. |
| Gallery Price: Item# 2488 | Sorry, this item is sold. Please visit the rest of our Braque fine art collection |
| Historical Description: | |
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There is a unique sense of naturalism that emerges from Braques (Argenteuil-sur-Seine, 1882- Paris, 1963) fanciful spatial and colorist choices. While nature does not provide for any such birds of this bright asymmetrical coloration, Braques graceful rendering of the soaring bird brings an innate energy and sense of life to the creature. Of Braques later bird series, Braque scholar Edwin Mullins states, "In the simplest possible manner the metaphysical and the physical merge in these last paintings of birds and sky. Horizon, sky, cosmic space even, are now tactile as formerly Braque had made a jug or a lemon tactile; yet the bird that wings across these clotted skies remains an unreal and insubstantial thing, an image from a dream…" (Mullins, 199-200). Probably Braques (Argenteuil-sur-Seine, 1882- Paris, 1963) most beautiful and vibrant image, the wonderful colors coupled with graceful imaging merge together in this exquisite etching. Braques mature color sensibilities marvelously materialize in this perfectly executed work. Published by Maeght éditeur, Paris in c. 1956, this work is part of a series etchings that were based upon Braques original watercolors, gouaches and paintings. Braque was very involved in the printing process, overseeing the engraver, Aldo Crommelynck (whose embossed blindstamp appears in the sheet) and correcting the proofs when necessary. Printed of BFK Rives watermarked paper, this work is numbered 75/200 in pencil in the lower left margin and hand signed by Georges Braque (Argenteuil-sur-Seine, 1882- Paris, 1963) in pencil in the lower right margin. 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.
