Description
“Ou L’on Songe a Kamakura: A Luminary in Mezzotint Mastery”
This limited-edition mezzotint, “Ou L’on Songe a Kamakura”, beautifully illustrates Mario Avati’s mastery of the art form. Printed on BFK Rives paper, it is part of a collection limited to 85 impressions with additional artist proofs. The piece is meticulously signed by Avati in pencil on the lower right and annotated with its title and edition number on the left. It stands out for its profound impression and remains in impeccable condition. As a testament to its significance, this artwork was notably featured during the tribute exhibition to Mario Avati in Paris. Preserving its perfection, the piece has been enclosed in an acetate sleeve and stored in architectural flat files within a smoke-free sanctuary.
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, London
National Library, Madrid
Tokyo Museum, Japan
Museum of Art, Johannesburg, SA
Uffizi, Florence, Italy
