Description
“D’une Anemone L’ Autre:A Luminary in Mezzotint Mastery”
This exquisite piece was printed on fine wove paper, limited to an edition of 13. Hand-signed by Avati in the center with a pencil. The deep print impression emanates its craftsmanship and remains in pristine, unblemished condition. Specifically, this piece belongs to the 4th état (state) and is distinguished as exemplar #1 in the limited edition of 13.
Diving deeper into the edition specifics:
In the Fourth state, a grand total of forty-seven color proofs were carefully crafted. This collection comprises:
-8 developmental proofs, each focusing on the unique evolution of colors and denoted from A/H to H/H.
-11 trial proofs, each distinctly annotated as “Essai” ranging from 1/11 to 11/11.
-15 proofs coined “Avant Acier”, marking the stage before steeling, enumerated from 1/15 to 15/15.
-A series of 13 limited edition copies labeled “4è état”, extending from 1/13 to 13/13.
For those keen on tracing the lineage and recognition of this piece, it is documented in the authoritative catalog raisonne titled “L’oeuvre gravé de Mario Avati, 1984-1990”. This reference, curated by Roger Passeron, allocates space for this particular artwork on pages 60-61 under reference.
Provenance
The artwork was acquired in 1998 from the distinguished Lumina Gallery, situated in SoHo, NYC. Ensuring its impeccable condition, the piece has been preserved in an architectural flat file drawer within a smoke-free, adult environment. We, at www.markshapirofineart.com, are committed to the highest standards of care, housing all our prints in either tissue or plastic sleeves and shipping them flat to guarantee their pristine delivery.
A Glimpse into the Life of Mario Avati
Mario Avati along with Kyoshi Hasegawa & Yozo Hamaguchi is one of the finest technicians of the technique known as the “black way” in contemporary mezzotint printing.
Avati attended the National School of Fine Arts in Paris and became interested in etching and aquatint, from 1957 onwards he turned towards the more difficult technique known as the “Black Way” which he helped to revive. His great mastery is expressed above all in his remarkable still lifes, everyday objects: fruits, eggs, flowers, animals, musical instruments, in perfect harmony, objects with firm contours, in the brightness of their own light, or in a mysterious chiaroscuro. The international fame of Mario Avati is confirmed by more than 30 one-man & group exhibitions in Europe, the United States & Japan. There have been 5 short films created on his artwork, as well as illustrations from books including Baudelaire, Lewis Carroll, and the Bible.
Esteemed Museum Holdings:
- Art Institute of Chicago,
- Museum of Modern Art NYC,
- Metropolitan Museum of Art NYC,
- National Art Gallery Washington DC,
- Victoria & Albert Museum in London,
- National Library Madrid,
- Tokyo Museum Japan,
- Museum of Art Johannesburg SA,
- Uffizi Florence Italy
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