Pablo Picasso, Chouette (Wood-Owl) 1968 |
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| Artist: | Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973) |
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| Title: | Chouette (Wood-Owl) 1968 |
| Medium: | Picasso Madoura ceramic earthenware clay, with decoration in engobes |
| Image Size: | Height: 11 in (27.94 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 8 3/4 in (22.23 cm) |
| Signature: | This work contains guaranteed authentic 'Edition Picasso' and 'Madoura Plein Feu' stamps on the bottom of the base. Written into the glaze is also the text, 'Edition | Picasso | 2/500 | Madoura' inscribed along the inner surface of the base |
| ID # | w-1912 |
Pablo Picasso Chouette (Wood-Owl) 1968
Stunning in its poetic display of color, this work mimics the melodic symphony of The Magic Flute. Its animals are bursting with emotion while the angelic figure in the center plays benevolently, leading us to believe the flute is truly magical. This work in particular is considered one of the top three of Chagall’s best works; the scale and color saturation is what sets The Magic Flute apart from any other Modern Master of the 20th century. The viewer is lulled by the cool hues of blue and green which swirl around the characters’ glee while yellows and reds help anchor the composition and lighten up the forest floor. This quality of restive tonality accented by climactic hues, calls to mind the ebb and wane of Mozart’s orchestral arrangements. The imagery further highlights the movement in which the colors, richly saturated and alive, effortlessly glide across the picture plain and echo the mastery of Mozart’s craft.
Created in 1967, this work was inspired by a performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute in which he created the sets and costume shown on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House of New York. It is one of the few artist-signed examples out of the 200 numbered on Arches wove paper. The image is also engraved in the plate “d’Apres Marc Chagall – Ch. Sorlier Grav.” Numbered out of the edition of 200 in pencil in the lower right and hand signed by Marc Chagall (1887 – 1985) in pencil in the lower right.
ILLUSTRATED IN:
About the Framing:
Framed in museum quality archival materials, this work is set in a Renaissance-inspired gold leaf frame. The bright gold of the moulding compliments the cool tones in the work, while the elaborate curvatures cast within the frame resonate the motion and richness of the piece itself. The simple stepped elements also accentuate the linear quality of this work. Completed with white, linen wrapped mattes and a matching gold inner fillet, this work is set behind archival Plexiglas.
