Modern Prints
Except otherwise stated, all results below include the premium.
In addition to Warhol.
See also : Prints Chagall
Chronology : 1947
In addition to Warhol.
See also : Prints Chagall
Chronology : 1947
1946-1947 Océanie - La Mer by Matisse
1
2011 SOLD for £ 2.95M by Christie's
Henri Matisse is seriously ill but has not lost his manual skill. The Jazz project started for Tériade in 1943, based on cut-off papers, maintains his creativity.
The beige walls of his apartment in Montparnasse remind him of the color of the beaches in Tahiti. He cuts in a white paper the stylized forms that his assistant Lydia pins on the wall. His aim is to create two tapestry cartoons forming pendants, Océanie - le ciel and Océanie - la mer, respectively populated with birds and fish.
In 1946 while Matisse was busy on this project Zika Ascher came to visit Paris. A fashion designer based since 1942 in London, Ascher usually works with Henry Moore. He now wants to edit a series of scarves prepared by a plurality of artists. Almost all of them including Matisse respond favorably.
Ascher also convinces Matisse to print his Océanie. Matisse is very demanding but Ascher manages to find a linen cloth and a pigment that exactly replicate the texture and sand color of the wall. The artist's attention to the sand anticipates by two decades Agnes Martin's escape in the desert.
Both artworks were edited in 1946-1947 in thirty copies each in an image format around 163 x 373 cm.
The Fondation Beyeler owns the pair 4/30. The number 26/30 of La Mer was sold by Christie's for £ 2.95M on June 21, 2011 from a lower estimate of £ 500K, lot 16. It was then coming directly from the Beyeler estate after having belonged to the Matisse family.
The beige walls of his apartment in Montparnasse remind him of the color of the beaches in Tahiti. He cuts in a white paper the stylized forms that his assistant Lydia pins on the wall. His aim is to create two tapestry cartoons forming pendants, Océanie - le ciel and Océanie - la mer, respectively populated with birds and fish.
In 1946 while Matisse was busy on this project Zika Ascher came to visit Paris. A fashion designer based since 1942 in London, Ascher usually works with Henry Moore. He now wants to edit a series of scarves prepared by a plurality of artists. Almost all of them including Matisse respond favorably.
Ascher also convinces Matisse to print his Océanie. Matisse is very demanding but Ascher manages to find a linen cloth and a pigment that exactly replicate the texture and sand color of the wall. The artist's attention to the sand anticipates by two decades Agnes Martin's escape in the desert.
Both artworks were edited in 1946-1947 in thirty copies each in an image format around 163 x 373 cm.
The Fondation Beyeler owns the pair 4/30. The number 26/30 of La Mer was sold by Christie's for £ 2.95M on June 21, 2011 from a lower estimate of £ 500K, lot 16. It was then coming directly from the Beyeler estate after having belonged to the Matisse family.
2
2018 SOLD for $ 1.22M by Sotheby's
On April 26, 2018, Sotheby's sold for $ 1.22M the copy 20/30 of La Mer, lot 15, from an estimate of $ 500K.
It had belonged to Ascher and was on loan to the MoMA from 1950 to 1953. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
It had belonged to Ascher and was on loan to the MoMA from 1950 to 1953. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1961 Lesbos by Chagall
2019 SOLD for £ 735K by Sotheby's
A prolific painter, Marc Chagall works extremely slowly when it comes to illustration. Two of his greatest projects, La Bible and Daphnis et Chloé, were prepared by trips to Palestine and Greece respectively, during which he immersed himself in the landscapes and the atmosphere of the country.
La Bible was started in 1931 on an incitement from Vollard. When Vollard died in 1939, Tériade took over. Chagall finishes his iconographic preparation in 1956 and the set is published in 1958.
Tériade is from Lesbos, like Sappho and Longus. He would like Chagall to interpret his country based on the pastoral novel Daphnis et Chloé, previously set to music by Ravel. Chagall first refused because Bonnard had done a similar project.
For the painter of happy love, this idyllic theme is very tempting. In 1952, five years after Bonnard's death, he captures for the first time the dazzling light of a Greek summer. He returns to Greece in 1954. He prepares a set of 42 drawings in gouache and pastel.
The print by Mourlot is a technical feat whose work spans four years, from 1957 to 1961. Chagall does not accept any mistake in the lithographic printing on Arches of the 25 colors which he had used in his quest of the poetic perfection.
Daphnis et Chloé is published in 1961 by Tériade in loose portfolio in a regular edition of 250 copies and 20 artist proofs, plus 60 deluxe copies with large margins which are signed by the artist on each sheet. 16 of the 42 images are folded double pages. The standard size of an image is 44 x 34 cm.
The sets that remain complete are rare. A complete deluxe portfolio that had been kept by Tériade's family until 1995 was sold for £ 735K from a lower estimate of £ 400K by Sotheby's on February 27, 2019, lot 345.
La Bible was started in 1931 on an incitement from Vollard. When Vollard died in 1939, Tériade took over. Chagall finishes his iconographic preparation in 1956 and the set is published in 1958.
Tériade is from Lesbos, like Sappho and Longus. He would like Chagall to interpret his country based on the pastoral novel Daphnis et Chloé, previously set to music by Ravel. Chagall first refused because Bonnard had done a similar project.
For the painter of happy love, this idyllic theme is very tempting. In 1952, five years after Bonnard's death, he captures for the first time the dazzling light of a Greek summer. He returns to Greece in 1954. He prepares a set of 42 drawings in gouache and pastel.
The print by Mourlot is a technical feat whose work spans four years, from 1957 to 1961. Chagall does not accept any mistake in the lithographic printing on Arches of the 25 colors which he had used in his quest of the poetic perfection.
Daphnis et Chloé is published in 1961 by Tériade in loose portfolio in a regular edition of 250 copies and 20 artist proofs, plus 60 deluxe copies with large margins which are signed by the artist on each sheet. 16 of the 42 images are folded double pages. The standard size of an image is 44 x 34 cm.
The sets that remain complete are rare. A complete deluxe portfolio that had been kept by Tériade's family until 1995 was sold for £ 735K from a lower estimate of £ 400K by Sotheby's on February 27, 2019, lot 345.
1963 The Image Maker of the Anti Art
2017 SOLD for $ 970K by Sotheby's
At the time of the development of Pop Art, Jasper Johns is already famous for his Flags and his Targets. A lover of Rauschenberg, he belongs to the circle of Castelli. His quest for the annihilation of the meaning of art is of interest for the avant-gardes of New York.
Johns destroys everything : figuration, format, meaning, emotion. To go still further, he studies the variation in the perception of a painted or printed drawing with various techniques on various materials.
In 1960 Tanya Grosman invited him to experiment with her the lithography at the Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE) in West Islip NY. At that time Johns worked on the numbers 0 to 9 that he superimposed, each figure covering the entire surface of a sheet to create an illegible but colorful magma. The engraving makes an additional contribution to his theories. He is convinced.
In 1963 ULAE publishes in portfolio the numbers 0-9 by Johns. Now each figure is printed on a separate sheet 52 x 40 cm. A single stone is used for the whole series, a new figure replacing the previous one with three passes per numeral : black, gray and a different color for each number. Despite the mechanical preparation of the artwork, the achieved readability is different for each figure.
The edition is composed of 10 black portfolios, 10 gray portfolios and 10 color portfolios. The text is written by the art critic Robert Rosenblum convinced of the importance of the innovative vision of Johns. Rosenblum's copy of the very rare 0-9 color portfolio was sold for $ 970K from a lower estimate of $ 600K by Sotheby's on April 27, 2017, lot 87.
The paradox continues. This artist without a message becomes the best illustrator of his time with regard to the printing technique. His masterpiece is the 1973 Flags I where the lithography executed with 31 screens reaches the texture quality of a painted work.
0-9 should not be confused with the Numeral Series published in black in 1968 in 70 copies and in colors in 1969 in 40 copies plus 11 artist's proofs. A black portfolio was sold for $ 410K including premium by Sotheby's on May 9, 2008. A color portfolio was sold for $ 720K including premium by Christie's on May 12, 2011.
Johns destroys everything : figuration, format, meaning, emotion. To go still further, he studies the variation in the perception of a painted or printed drawing with various techniques on various materials.
In 1960 Tanya Grosman invited him to experiment with her the lithography at the Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE) in West Islip NY. At that time Johns worked on the numbers 0 to 9 that he superimposed, each figure covering the entire surface of a sheet to create an illegible but colorful magma. The engraving makes an additional contribution to his theories. He is convinced.
In 1963 ULAE publishes in portfolio the numbers 0-9 by Johns. Now each figure is printed on a separate sheet 52 x 40 cm. A single stone is used for the whole series, a new figure replacing the previous one with three passes per numeral : black, gray and a different color for each number. Despite the mechanical preparation of the artwork, the achieved readability is different for each figure.
The edition is composed of 10 black portfolios, 10 gray portfolios and 10 color portfolios. The text is written by the art critic Robert Rosenblum convinced of the importance of the innovative vision of Johns. Rosenblum's copy of the very rare 0-9 color portfolio was sold for $ 970K from a lower estimate of $ 600K by Sotheby's on April 27, 2017, lot 87.
The paradox continues. This artist without a message becomes the best illustrator of his time with regard to the printing technique. His masterpiece is the 1973 Flags I where the lithography executed with 31 screens reaches the texture quality of a painted work.
0-9 should not be confused with the Numeral Series published in black in 1968 in 70 copies and in colors in 1969 in 40 copies plus 11 artist's proofs. A black portfolio was sold for $ 410K including premium by Sotheby's on May 9, 2008. A color portfolio was sold for $ 720K including premium by Christie's on May 12, 2011.
from 1967 WARHOL
see dedicated page :
1973 Flag I by Johns
1
2016 SOLD for $ 1.7M by Christie's
Jasper Johns explores the texture without rejecting the colors. He chooses preexisting themes without reworking their pattern. The US flag is an example of geometric shapes with pure colors. Its recuperation by Johns is both popular and provocative but the public does not perceive the whole extent of its ambiguity.
In 1973 the artist juxtaposes two US flags side by side on one surface with their strips vertically dispositioned. It is an experiment by which he compares an oil coated with a glossy varnish with his signature technique in encaustic wax where the upper layers cover an already dry paint. In both cases the under-layers influence the colors visible at the surface. This large size canvas 133 x 176 cm was sold for $ 7.15M by Christie's in May 1999.
The differences are subtle but Johns endeavors to reproduce them in a multiple. He chooses the silkscreen process but of course the usual four colors are not enough. The Simca Artist Prints Inc company develops with him for his double flag a set of 31 screens to be used in five stages.
Flags I is a technical feat. Johns was able to transfer to a multiple edition the voluntarily irregular layers of his paint. This image 67 x 84 cm on a sheet 70 x 90 cm is printed in 65 copies plus seven artist's proofs.
The best results were recorded by Christie's in a remarkably steady increase: $ 1.45M on November 11, 2015; $ 990K on November 13, 2013; $ 840K on May 11, 2010; $ 620K on April 30, 2008; $ 600K on November 9, 2005; $ 430K on 3 May 2005.
The Flags I 59/65 was sold for $ 1.7M by Christie's on April 26, 2016, lot 107.
In 1973 the artist juxtaposes two US flags side by side on one surface with their strips vertically dispositioned. It is an experiment by which he compares an oil coated with a glossy varnish with his signature technique in encaustic wax where the upper layers cover an already dry paint. In both cases the under-layers influence the colors visible at the surface. This large size canvas 133 x 176 cm was sold for $ 7.15M by Christie's in May 1999.
The differences are subtle but Johns endeavors to reproduce them in a multiple. He chooses the silkscreen process but of course the usual four colors are not enough. The Simca Artist Prints Inc company develops with him for his double flag a set of 31 screens to be used in five stages.
Flags I is a technical feat. Johns was able to transfer to a multiple edition the voluntarily irregular layers of his paint. This image 67 x 84 cm on a sheet 70 x 90 cm is printed in 65 copies plus seven artist's proofs.
The best results were recorded by Christie's in a remarkably steady increase: $ 1.45M on November 11, 2015; $ 990K on November 13, 2013; $ 840K on May 11, 2010; $ 620K on April 30, 2008; $ 600K on November 9, 2005; $ 430K on 3 May 2005.
The Flags I 59/65 was sold for $ 1.7M by Christie's on April 26, 2016, lot 107.
2
2020 SOLD for $ 1.47M by Christie's
The Flags I 36/65 was sold for $ 1.47M including premium by Christie's on October 6, 2020, lot 32, from a lower estimate of $ 1M.
3
SOLD for $ 1.45M by Christie's
The Flag I 20/65 was sold for $ 1.45M by Christie's on November 11, 2015 from a lower estimate of $ 700K, lot 154.
4
SOLD for $ 990K by Christie's
SOLD for $ 990K by Christie's on November 13, 2013
1983 Monotype by Jasper Johns
2015 SOLD for $ 1.56M by Christie's
to be narrated later
Link to catalogue.
1983 Back of the Neck by Basquiat
2021 SOLD for £ 800K by Sotheby's
to be narrated later
Link to catalogue.
2004 Girl with Balloon by Banksy
INTRO
Girl with Balloon, stencil painted by Banksy, first appeared in 2002 on a wall in London. Under a strong wind which messes her hair and inflates her skirt, the child has just let go the string of a heart-shaped balloon. A second painting also in London brings the artist's message, "There is always hope", which in some way revisits the traditional theme of the bottle thrown into the sea.
The image is simple and without social aggression and became immediately popular. He often reused it for happenings or other actions to promote his political opinions.
A spray paint and acrylic on canvas 101 x 78 cm was listed by Sotheby's in London in the contemporary art evening sale of October 5, 2018. As the hammer falls for £ 1.04M including premium, the artwork is shredded in the auction room by a mechanism hidden in the 18 cm thick artist's frame.
Banksy claimed this remote-controlled destruction with a convincing evidence. The modified work has been certified by his authentication body Pest Control with a new title, Love is in the Bin. The new owner understood the specific place of her acquisition in the history of art. A collusion between Banksy and Sotheby's for this unprecedented happening is not credible.
The image is simple and without social aggression and became immediately popular. He often reused it for happenings or other actions to promote his political opinions.
A spray paint and acrylic on canvas 101 x 78 cm was listed by Sotheby's in London in the contemporary art evening sale of October 5, 2018. As the hammer falls for £ 1.04M including premium, the artwork is shredded in the auction room by a mechanism hidden in the 18 cm thick artist's frame.
Banksy claimed this remote-controlled destruction with a convincing evidence. The modified work has been certified by his authentication body Pest Control with a new title, Love is in the Bin. The new owner understood the specific place of her acquisition in the history of art. A collusion between Banksy and Sotheby's for this unprecedented happening is not credible.
1
2021 SOLD for £ 1.1M by Sotheby's
Banksy edited several variants of the Girl with Balloon in which the character is in black and the flying heart is filled with red or another color. After 25 signed copies in 2003, 150 signed and 600 unsigned copies are produced in screenprint in 2004 and 2005, with 88 artist's copies covering the color variants. The image is 40 x 25 cm on a 70 x 50 cm sheet.
An artist's proof with a metallic gold balloon was sold for £ 1.1M from a lower estimate of £ 400K by Sotheby's on March 25, 2021, lot 133.
An artist's proof with a metallic gold balloon was sold for £ 1.1M from a lower estimate of £ 400K by Sotheby's on March 25, 2021, lot 133.
2
2020 SOLD for £ 790K by Christie's
An artist's proof of the Girl with Balloon with the purple heart, one of the rarest colors in the series, was sold for £ 790K by Christie's on September 20, 2020, lot 2.
