Surrealism: Imaginary becomes real by Ofer Gildor

Surrealism: imaginary becomes real

h T “

aginary m I B e

ec o

sR me n to Gilden’s Arts Gallery September – November 2016

eal” andr É b r e

Surrealism: imaginary becomes real

ri g

me is l a

, 192

nt co

inu

M ani

feste d

ous a

S u rr é

n d be a r s

ra c

es ,i

d a p p e a ra n

t…” A ndr é Br e

ization. gan r fo

w ar ut

“

y claims t m or he e m

ng t

o ll

y nl

am, accordi

ti edi to

…

re ed

The first is the creation of art, or indeed literature, through unlocking the qualities of dream-like imagery that play with concepts of depth, perception and juxtapose objects on various planes. This is referred to as

Oneiric and in broad terms artist’s such as Salvador Dalí, Giorgio de Chirico and Paul Delvaux can be considered as the main proponents of this category. The second is perhaps the most complex and the boundaries of the definition are more fluid as it permits the artist to tap into the unconscious mind in order to simply create through action. This free-flowing spark of creativity is considered to be the most liberating technique, as the artist is not confined to learned arts, nor are they restrained by conventions of style. This category is often known as Automatism and can be seen clearly in the creative processes of Max Ernst, Joan Miró and André Masson.

The uniting factor for each of the Surrealist artist’s is their lack of conformity to a single idea, movement or style. Surrealism effectively embraces, encourages and permits the outsider to flourish.

Surrealism is perhaps the longest lasting artistic movement of the 20th century avantgarde; its methods have been adopted by artists long after its inception in the early 1920s. Unlike many artistic and literary creative movements of the 20th century, Surrealism appears to have neither a firm beginning nor a definitive end. Its principals and methodology, having been adopted by artists of countless countries across western and central Europe, fall into two distinctive categories of expression.

In total, there were three Surrealist manifestos; however only two were ever published and they were all written by André Breton. The first was published in 1924, but by the time the second manifesto was published in 1929 the creative spirit of many of the movement’s most flamboyant contributors was leading them away into the development of new forms of expression; though it is clear the seeds of Surrealism carried through with them. This eventual movement away from Surrealism was

inevitable and a self-fulfilling prophecy as the manifesto believed that there should be no conventional plan which should be adhered to.

Surrealism

Literature – more specifically poetry, has always been an integral component of the Surrealist movement. Artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Joan Miró and Man Ray would often contribute graphic works to the small print runs of Surrealist poetry; this is particularly notable in the 1939 work Fraternity which contains the poem, Fall of a City, by Stephen Spender and was translated into French by Louis Aragon.

Joan Miró 1893-1983

Daphnis and Chloe | Daphnis et Chloé, 1933

Woman and Bird in Front of the Moon |

Original Hand Signed, Dated and Numbered

Femme et Oiseau Devant le Lune, 1947

Etching on Arches Wove Paper

Original Hand Signed and Numbered Etching

64 x 50 cm. / 25.1 x 19.6 in.

and Aquatint on Wove Paper

Reference: Dupin 9

21 x 25.2 cm. / 8.3 x 9.9 in. Reference: Dupin 51

Marc Chagall 1887-1985 On the Stove | Sur le Poêle, 1922/23 Original Hand Signed and Numbered Lithograph on Laid Paper 23.7 × 27 cm. / 9.3 x 10.6 in. Reference: Mourlot 16

Marc Chagall 1887-1985 The Farm | La Ferme, 1922/23 Original Hand Signed and Numbered Lithograph on Laid Paper 23.3 × 27 cm. / 9.2 x 10.6 in. Reference: Mourlot 17

Marc Chagall 1887-1985 Man with Umbrella| L’homme au Parapluie, ca. 1926/27 Original Hand Signed and Numbered Etching on Wove Paper 56 x 51 cm. / 22.1 x 20.1 in. Reference: Kornfeld 73

..o

“

ealism is r de r u h a w t it S n ly

es limitin kl g

s tr

oys... 12

The primary themes present in Dalí’s work explore religion, time, decay and eroticism. These themes often overlap and are perhaps responsible for Dalí’s work being so distinctive and in turn, easily recognisable throughout his career. The artist’s childhood and the pursuit of memory are the key source of symbolism as it was for many of the Surrealist artists.

Salvador Dalí is perhaps the artist who is most associated with Surrealism and by far can be considered the greatest advocate of the movement throughout his creative life. Dalí moved to Paris with the support of Elena Diaskonova, known as Gala, and the Surrealist poet Paul Éluard in the early 1920s. The period saw the merging of Dadaism and Surrealism, but within a few years and after the inevitable evolution of the group’s ideals, Dalí left in order to focus more purely on Surrealist art.

ision.” rv

ctive, bu t it ru st iders to be s

Salvador Dalí

Salvador Dalí 1904-1989 Memories of Surrealism,1971 Complete Portfolio with Twelve Hand Signed and Numbered Lithographs with Etchings on Arches Paper 75.5 x 64 cm. / 29.7 x 25.2 in. Reference: Michler & Löpsinger Nos. 494-505

Salvador Dalí 1904-1989 The Sewing-Machine, from: Homage to Leonardo da Vinci | La Machine à Coudre, au: Hommage à Léonardo da Vinci, 1975 Original Hand Signed and Extensively Hand Coloured Etching on BFK Rives Wove Paper 56 x 75.7 cm. / 22 x 29.8 in. This work is registered in the Archives Descharnes.

Salvador Dalí 1904-1989

Reverence to the Gooseberry|

The Small Owl | Le Petit Chouette, 1968

Révérence du Groseillier, 1969/70

Original Hand Signed Etching in Colours

Original Hand Signed and Numbered

on BFK Rives Wove Paper

Lithograph with Drypoint on Wove Paper

45.2 x 31.8 cm. / 17.8 x 12.5 in.

56.5 x 37 cm. / 22.3 x 12.5 in.

Reference: Michler & Löpsinger, No. 246

Michler & Löpsinger, No. 353

l, ul

d an

Fa l

3 19

le eye,

r, March de

ic k e d t o

om fr

g y, r e en .”

th e d ay so

ome corner in s o

fa n

fr re

of a

ab ag

high shelf the

o a chi

ld – S

Miró, Dolf Reiser and Luis Vargas

Dalla Husband, Wassily Kandinsky, Roderick Mead, Joan

s it l ik

John Buckland-Wright, Stanley William Hayter, Josef Hecht,

ar d

the Accompanying Text and Portfolio. Contributing Artists:

Complete Set of Nine Original Hand Signed Etchings with

–

en eph Spen St

Fraternity | Fraternité, 1939

re , in

an’s memo ry o j e he chil t d d An f a City m ld

p um

here some w or dp

es ss

u “B

ew om s t

22.4 x 16 cm. / 8.9 x 6.3 in.

t e

i an

” n.

life an di ound of s or g

“P

ai n

pr he ex ession st of i g

Camille bryen Camille Bryen – also known as Camille Briand was close friends with many of the Surrealist poets and was himself a respected poet and painter. His work on the fringes of Surrealism are distinctive from his later pieces, which were to evolve into a movement known as Tachisme.

da ze

s a cosmic

f un c

ti o

Camille Bryen [Camille Briand] 1907-1977 Surrealist Composition with Arm, ca. 1935 Original Signed Graphite Drawing on Wove Paper 26 x 21 cm. / 10.2 x 8.3 in.

Camille Bryen [Camille Briand] 1907-1977 Surrealist Composition with Arm, ca. 1935 Original Signed Ink Drawing on Arches Wove Paper 32.7 x 24.5 cm. / 12.8 x 9.6 in.

Camille Bryen [Camille Briand] 1907-1977 Surrealist Composition with Nude, Door and Key, ca. 1935

Camille Bryen [Camille Briand] 1907-1977 Surrealist Composition with Leg and Arm, ca. 1935 Original Signed Graphite Drawing on Wove Paper

Original Signed Graphite Drawing and Watercolour on Wove paper 32 x 24.5 cm. / 12.6 x 9.6 in.

26 x 21 cm. / 10.2 x 8.3 in

Hans Bellmer was born in Silesia in modern day Poland, but it was an encounter in Berlin with Georges Grosz and Otto Dix that changed his direction to creative arts. In the late 1930s the artist fled to Paris where he encountered many of the Surrealists and contributed to the movement with his distinctive, eroticised female figures. Originally trained as an industrial draughtsman, it is apt that this drawing is present on technical paper, the fluidity of the lines breaking with the formality of the material.

Hans Bellmer 1902-1975

Salvador DalĂ 1904-1989

Woman with Skeleton | Femme au Squelette, ca. 1958/59

Girl Skipping Rope | Jeune Fille Sautant Ă la Corde, 1971

Hand Signed Ballpoint Pen and Pencil Drawing on

Original Hand Signed, Inscribed, Dated and Dedicated Ink

Squared Paper

Drawing on Frontispiece of Book

21 x 16.5 cm. / 8.3 x 6.5 in.

27.8 x 21 cm. / 11 x 8.3 in.

Madame Rodica Aldoux has confirmed the

This work is recorded in the Archives Descharnes.

authenticity of this work.

victor brauner

and Ink) on Paper Laid on Canvas 61 x 50 cm. / 24 x 19.7 in.

ake is

p ro j

eepest s d o e

a i n ti n g t p ha h c a es of m

“E

This work is recorded in the Victor Brauner Archives.

y” i et

ed ct

f ro m

Original Hand Signed Mixed Media (Oil, Paraffin Wax

This work, Composition with Bird and Fish, is comprised of many of Brauner’s signature motifs. Often reminiscent of totemic heads, enlarged creatures and the juxtaposition of motifs that create an overall image. In this instance the positioning of an arm above, the profile of a face in the centre and a fish below creates the illusion of a standing figure. Brauner lost his eye in a bar fight supporting Esteban Francés against Óscar Domínguez in 1938. The artist’s preoccupation with the ‘all seeing eye’ or single eye, was however a motif of expression for the artist before and after this event. Here we see the each element of the composition depicted in profile, with a single eye.

Composition with Bird and Fish, ca. 1948

Victor Brauner was born into a liberal and spiritualist Jewish family in a small Romanian village called Piatra Neamt. After visiting Paris several times in the late 1920s, Brauner finally chose to settle in the city in 1930. It was here that he was introduced to the Surrealists by Yves Tanguy.

Victor Brauner 1903-1966

Colours are sparsely used to highlight key areas of the composition and the overall image feels very much as if carved onto rock. Brauner amassed a large collection of what was then considered to be primitive or ancient art. There is a sense of wonder created through a link to the fantastical imagery of cave paintings and rock art.

Yves Tanguy is often considered to be the quintessential Surrealist artist and he contributed greatly to the movement, in particular to the representation of dreamlike landscapes. Remarkably the artist was self-taught and the recurring motifs of rocks and landscapes are representative of the reminiscence of childhood experiences. The artist was greatly inspired by Giorgio de Chirico’s work and in turn was an inspiration for Salvador Dalí and Roberto Matta.

Yves Tanguy 1900-1955

Rhabdomancie, 1947

Plate II, from: The Tale of the Pierced Stone |

Original Hand Signed and Dated Etching with

Le Mythe de la Roche Percée, 1931

Aquatint in Colours on Wove Paper

Original Hand Signed Etching on Wove Paper

31 x 24 cm. / 12.2 x 9.4 in.

25.4 X 19.6 cm. / 10 X 7.7 in.

Reference: Wittrock 13

Reference: Wittrock 14 B

Max Ernst started using the frottage technique in his work in 1925. He regularly shifted the paper while rubbing: “When I intensely stared at the drawing won in this manner, at the ‘dark spots, and others of a delicate, light, semi-darkness,’ I was by the sudden augmentation of my visionary facilities with contrasting and superimposed pictures.” Inspired by the resulting structures, associations were produced that the artist reshaped into new pictorial worlds

ti 32

k from th par s e a

“ Cr ea of Max Ernst works.

ealities

This work is recorded in the catalogue raisonné

28.8 x 20.6 cm. / 11.3 x 8.1 in.

c in

on Tracing Paper

positio xta n.” ju

a n d dr a

Original Hand Signed Frottage and Pencil Drawing

us c

grasp mutual to l y di

Untitled (Forest), 1969

marvelo

y it

Max Ernst 1891-1976

h at

t is

max ernst

Max Ernst 1891-1976

The Caramel Bird | Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Oiseau Caramel, 1969

Two Birds (Ochre background), ca. 1975

Complete Portfolio of Three Hand Signed and Hand Numbered

Hand Signed and Inscribed Lithograph in Colours

Lithographs in Colours with Embossing on Arches Paper

on Japon NacrĂŠ Paper

39.6 x 29.2 cm. / 15.5 x 11.4 in.

57 x 76.5 cm. / 22.4 x 30.1 in.

Reference: Spies & Leppien A 20

Leonor Fini was one of the 20th century’s finest female artists. She worked both in the United States of America and in Europe, partaking in joint exhibitions with artists such as Max Ernst and Giorgio de Chirico. The resilience and strength of the female spirit is the dominant motif in the artist’s work.

leonor fini

Left: Leonor Fini 1908-1996 Woman’s Face Original Double Sided Signed Ink Wash Drawing on Paper 36.7 x 31 cm. / 14.5 x 12.2 in.

Right: Leonor Fini 1908-1996 Girl’s face Original Signed Watercolour Drawing on Paper 39.6 x 32.3 cm. / 15.6 x 12.7 in.

Monument to Christopher Columbus and Marcel Duchamp | Monument à Christophe Colomb et à Marcel Duchamp, 1971 Complete Set of Thirteen Original Hand Signed Etchings. Contributing Artists: Pierre Alechinsky, Arman, Enrico Baj, Hans Bellmer, Camille Bryen, Max Ernst, Raoul Hausmann, Man Ray, Roberto Matta, Joan Miró, Hans Richter, Dorothea Tanning. 38.3 x 28.8 cm. / 15.1 x 11.3 in.

Marc Chagall m wi

isms.” T h th “ e ya

t. s i

.”

t one must

ry ve

b ad fo r a

na r

The intensity of colour that can in itself breathe life into Chagall’s imagery also enhances the sense of the figure occupying a dreamlike world. This is most apparent in Blue Village from 1974 and the Song of Songs from 1975.

n n o t e xp la in “Y n i e i sc v ol lie e b

ca ou

r ou

The artist Marc Chagall seems to have eluded the classification of his style into specific artistic movements. However, when his compositions are considered, the juxtaposition of objects, figures, landscapes and the seemingly irreverence for perspective, we can see that the oneiric, ethereal quality of Surrealism is evoked. In the artist’s early works, before Chagall’s attention is firmly focussed on the celebration of colour, we see wonderful compositions of floating figures existing in an unknown plane. This is most evident in the wonderful Man with an Umbrella from 1926/27.

Marc Chagall 1887 – 1985 The Blue Village (Second State) | Le Village Bleu (2e état), 1974 Original Hand Signed and Numbered Lithograph in Colours on Japan Nacré Paper 56 x 43 cm. / 22 x 16.9 in. Reference: Mourlot 729

Marc Chagall 1887 – 1985

Motherhood | Maternité, 1962

Metamorphosis | Métamorphose, 1965

Original Hand Signed Unique Monotype

Original Hand Signed Unique Monotype in

in Colours on Japan Nacré Paper

Colours on Japan Nacré Paper

56 x 38.2 cm. / 22 x 15 in.

73.5 x 56.5 cm. / 28.9 x 22.2 in.

Reference: Illustrated Cramer 32

Reference: Illustrated Cramer 246

Marc Chagall 1887 – 1985

The Song of Songs | Le Cantique des Cantiques, 1975

The Rooster and the Clock, ca. 1956

Hand Signed and Numbered Lithograph in Colours on

Hand Signed and Numbered Etching with Aquatint on BFK

Arches Wove Paper. Based on Chagall’s oil painting

Rives Wove Paper. Based on a painting from the 1950’s titled

“Le Cantique des Cantiques III” now in the collection of the

“L’horloge à Vitebsk” until 2006 in the Estate of Marc Chagall

Musée National Marc Chagall, Nice

55.2 x 38 cm. / 21.7 x 14.9 in.

71 x 53.5 cm. / 28 x 21 in.

Reference: Maeght 1202

Reference: Charles Sorlier 47

Friedensreich Hundertwasser 1928-2000 Crusade of the Crossroaders | Kreisverkehr der Strassengekreutzigten, 1971/72 Original Stamp Signed and Numbered Screenprint with Metallic Embossing and Mix Media on Brown Wrapping Paper 49 x 67 cm. / 19.3 x 26.4 in. Reference: Koschatzky 53 (HWG 53)

The imaginative, surreal landscapes that dominate the work of Friedensreich Hundertwasser create an illusionary world where one’s eye jumps from houses to trees to rivers to personifications of mountains – all whilst using bold, vibrant colours. The juxtaposition of bird’s-eye views and varying planes enable the artist to fully express an oneiric world.

Friedensreich Hundertwasser 1928-2000 The Houses are Hanging Underneath the Meadows | Die Häuser hängen unter den Wiesen, 1971/72 Original Hand Signed and Numbered Screenprint in Colours with Metallic Embossing on Wove Paper 49 x 67 cm. / 19.3 x 26.4 in. Reference: Koschatzky 52 (HWG 52)

Friedensreich Hundertwasser 1928-2000

Houses in Rain of Blood | HĂ¤user im Blutregen, 1961

Town in Town | Die Stadt-Stadt, 1979

Original Hand Signed and Numbered Woodcut in Colours

Original Hand Signed and Numbered Screenprint in Colours

on Wove Paper

with Metallic Embossing on Wove Paper

40 x 53.5 cm. / 15.7 x 21.1 in.

55.8 x 76 cm. / 22 x 29.9 in.

Reference: Koschatzky 16 (HWG 16)

Reference: Koschatzky 78 (HWG 78)

Giorgio De Chirico 1888-1978

The Archaeologistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rest | Il Riposo dellâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Archeologo, 1972

Orestes and Pylades (Second Version) |

Original Hand Signed, Numbered and Lithograph in

Oreste e Pilade (Second Version), 1970

Colours on Wove Paper

Original Hand Signed and Numbered Etching and

69.2 x 49.5 cm. / 27.2 x 19.5 in.

Aquatint in Colours on Wove Paper

Reference: Brandani 151

70 x 50 cm. / 27.6 x 19.7 in. Reference: Brandani 8

Man Ray 1890-1976

Wrapped Nude, ca. 1970

My First Love | Mon PrĂ¨mier Amour, 1971

Original Pencil Drawing on Paper

Original Hand Signed and Numbered

21 X 27 cm. / 8.3 x 10.6 in.

Etching in Colours with Screenprint on

This work is recorded in the Man Ray works on paper archives.

Japan NacrĂŠ Paper 67.5 x 51 cm. / 26.6 x 20.1 in. Reference: Anselmino 63

René Magritte 1898-1967

Almayer’s Folly | La Folie Almayer, from: Lien

The Music Lesson or The Sound of the Bell |

The Married Priest or The Hesitation Waltz | Le Prêtre

de Paille, 1968 Stamped Signed and Numbered Aquatint in Colours on Japan Paper 27.8 x 22 cm. / 11 x 8.7 in. Reference: Kaplan & Baum 18

La Leçon de Musique or Son de Cloche, 1968 Stamp Signed and Numbered Etching and Aquatint in Colours on BFK Rives Wove Paper 27.8 x 22 cm. / 11 x 8.7 in. Reference: Kaplan & Baum 15

Marié or La Valse Hesitation, 1968 Stamped Signed and Numbered Aquatint in Colours on Japan Paper 27.8 x 22 cm. / 11 x 8.7 in. Reference: Kaplan & Baum 13

Les Illuminations is an incomplete suite of poetry by the symbolist 19th Century poet, Arthur Rimbaud. Whilst Rimbaud predated the Surrealism movement, his work is known to have influenced many of the movement supporters. Their admiration being drawn from the fact that the dreamlike and at times hallucinatory poetry focused on the evocative qualities of the written word, much more than simply their literal meaning.

ed on the e s v cu

ive qualit ie

the writt e

t times hal l uc

da an

at oc

ory at

fernand lÉger

dream the li

poetry Fernand Léger 1881-1955 Pleasant Thoughts for the Morning| Bonne Pensée du Matin, from: Les Illuminations, 1948 Original Hand Signed and Dated Watercolour and Ink Drawing on Wove Paper 49 x 38.5 cm. / 19.3 x 15.2 in. This work has been authenticated by Irus Hansma.

Gérard Vulliamy 1909-2005

Óscar Domínguez 1906-1957

Trumpets of Jericho | La Trompette de Jéricho, 1936

Homage to Manolete | Hommage à Manolete, 1955

Original Signed Watercolour and Crayon on Paper

Original Hand Signed and Numbered Lithograph in

20 x 26 cm. / 7.8 x 10.2 in.

Colours on BFK Rives Wove Paper 45 x 56 cm. / 17.7 x 22 in.

Joan Miró was exposed to the ideas of André Breton’s Surrealism manifesto in the early 1920s, much before it was formalised and published. Miró’s greatest contribution to the artistic language of Surrealism can be his offering of a geo-morphic forms that exist juxtaposed imagery that sprang from his subconscious. This often involved the reduction of one object to its simplest depiction whilst simultaneously elevating and embellishing the next object.

Joan Miró 1893-1983

Woman | Femme, 1932/1958

The Smile with Flamboyant Wings |

Hand Signed and Numbered Lithograph in Colours on

Le Sourire aux Ailes Flamboyantes, 1954

Arches Wove Paper. Based on Miró’s painting “Femme”

Hand Signed, Dated and Numbered Lithograph in Colours

from 1932.

on Arches Wove Paper. based on Miró’s oil painting of

65.3 x 47.7 cm. / 25.7 x 18.8 in.

1953 “Le Sourire aux Ailes flamboyantes”in the collection

Reference: Maeght 1712

of Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid 47.7 x 63.5 cm. / 18.8 x 25 in. Reference: Maeght 1705

Joan Miró 1893-1983

Sun Eater | Mangeur de Soleil, 1955

The Mauve of the Moon Covers

Original Hand Signed and Numbered Lithograph in Colours on Arches Paper 76.2 x 56.5 cm. / 30 x 22.3 in. Reference: Mourlot 544

the Green of the Frog | Le Mauve de la Lune Couvre le Vert de la Grenouille, 1952 Hand Signed, Numbered and Dated Lithograph in Colours on Arches Wove Paper. Based on Miró’s oil painting of 1951 “Le Mauve De La Lune Couvre Le Vert De La Grenouille« . 62 x 48 cm. / 24.4 x 18.8 in. Reference: Maeght 1704

Joan Miró 1893-1983 Composition, from: Saccades, 1962 Original Etching and Aquatint in Colours on BFK Rives Wove Paper 30 x 51 cm. / 11.9 x 20 in. Reference: Dupin 329

Joan Miró 1893-1983 Composition, from: Saccades, 1962 Original Etching and Aquatint in Colours on BFK Rives Wove Paper 30 x 51 cm. / 11.9 x 20 in. Reference: Dupin 330

Joan Miró 1893-1983 Greeting Card from Aimé Maeght, 1951 Original Hand Signed and Numbered Etching in Colours on Wove Paper 12.5 x 15.4 cm. / 4.9 x 6.1 in. Reference: Dupin 72

Hannah Hoch 1889-1978 Collection of Miniatures, ca. 1940 Seventeen Original Ink and Watercolour Drawings on Paper 10.7 x 9 cm. / 4.2 x 3.5 in. (and smaller). These works are registered in the estate of the artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister, Greta KĂśnig-Hoch

Roberto Matta 1911-2002 Les Transesports, 1977 Complete set of Six Original Hand Signed and Numbered Etchings and Aquatints in Colours on Arches Wove Paper 45 x 58 cm. / 17.7 x 22.8 in. Reference: Sabatier 172-177

André Masson 1896-1987 The Musician | La Musicienne, 1970 Original Pastel and Gouache on Wove Paper 49 x 32 cm. / 19.3 x 12.6 in. Diego Masson has confirmed the authenticity of this work.

André Masson 1896-1987 The Embrace| L’Etreinte, 1955 Original Pastel on Wove Paper 48 x 60 cm. / 18.9 x 23.6 in. Diego Masson has confirmed the authenticity of this work.

Salvador DalĂ 1904-1989 Much Ado about Shakespeare, 1970 Sixteen Hand Signed and Numbered Etchings and Aquatints in Colours on Japan Paper 45.5x 31 cm. / 17.9 x 12.2 in. Reference: Michler & LĂśpsinger 390-405

Delvaux trained initially as an architect and often the most striking feature of his works are the strongly defined spaces created through architecture or on occasions the subtle suggestion of interior and exterior spaces. The artist was well known for the juxtaposition of nude women against classical or natural settings, whilst introducing motifs that seem ill-fitting to any logical narrative. Born in the new age of invention and industrial revolution, Delvaux was particularly fascinated by locomotives and the railways. This motif is seen to be an exploration of childhood memory and the endless possibilities of youth’s imagination.

73.5 x 105.5 cm. / 28.9 x 41.5 in. Reference: Jacob 42

e you all y c n

ed once

a nd f

i nfl

l in

the min d,

Original Hand Signed and Numbered Lithograph on Arches Wove Paper

f ix

Paul Delvaux’s work embodies the desire to seize childhood memories and explore the ethereal. A late arrival to the Surrealist movement, the artist became close friends with its founder, André Breton in 1934. It would only be two years before Delvaux’s work was reaching a wider audience through a collaborative exhibition with fellow Surrealist, René Magritte.

ful impress h io t n ou f e i ” l r ou

Locomobile, 1970

“Y

Paul Delvaux

Paul Delvaux 1897-1995

This lithograph was created for the inclusion in the deluxe edition of a republished Das Meerwunder [The Sea Monsters] by the Silesian born German author Gerhart Hauptmann. The subject of the siren passed into popular German culture in the 19th century through the stories, poems and classical compositions telling the story of the golden haired Lorelei of the Rhine.

Paul Delvaux 1897-1995

Tender Night | Douce Nuit, 1960

The Siren | La SirĂ¨ne, 1969

Original Hand Signed and Inscribed Etching

Original Hand Signed and Inscribed Lithograph in

on BFK Rives Wove Paper

Colours on Arches Wove Paper

49.8 x 32.5 cm. / 19.6 x 12.8 in.

45.7 x 36.2 cm. / 18 x 14.3 in.

Reference: Jacob 4

Reference: Jacob 28

Paul Delvaux 1897-1995

The Room | La Chambre, 1969

The Beach | La Plage, 1972

Original Hand Signed and Inscribed Etching on Japan

Original Hand Signed and Inscribed Lithograph in Colour

Hodomura Paper

on Wove Paper

50.8 x 72.5 cm. / 20 x 28.5 in.

67.5 x 95.5 cm. / 26.6 x 37.6 in.

Reference: Jacob 29

Reference: Jacob 59

The subject of this lithograph is the Ancient Greek courtesan, Phyrné, at one time the lover of the renowned sculptor, Praxiteles. The ancient subject was popularised again in the 19th Century mostly by French artists. She is shown bare breasted, a reference to her been shown bare breasted to the judges in her trial, who struck by her beauty felt they could not condemn to death “a prophetess and priestess of Aphrodite”.

Paul Delvaux 1897-1995

The Sea is Near | La Mer est Proche, 1966

Phyrné, 1969

Original Hand Signed and Inscribed Lithograph on

Original Hand Signed and Inscribed Litho-

Arches Wove Paper

graph in Colours on Arches Wove Paper

76.5 x 57 cm. / 30.1 x 22.4 in.

46 x 36 cm. / 18.1 x 14.2 in.

Reference: Jacob 8

Reference: Jacob 40

Ernst Fuchs 1930-2015

Adamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dream | Adams Traum, 1969

The Prison of Ikarus | Das GefĂ¤ngnis des Ikarus, 1975

Original Hand Signed and Numbered Etching in

Original Hand Signed and Numbered Etching with

Colours with Aquatint on BFK Rives Wove Paper

Aquatint in Colours on Wove Paper

65.5 x 50 cm. / 25.8 x 19.7 in.

76 x 53.5 cm. / 29.9 x 21.1 in.

Reference: Weis no. 146 IV c

Reference: Weis no. 215 VII a

ing

T i m e s : Monday t o

w.gildensar

ts .c

ri d

1 0-

da ur nday 12 y to Su :00

-18

:00

tead, London NW 3

T: +44 om

s.c

DENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

mps

(0) 2 07 4

rt sa n

E: in f GIL

S ARTS GA LLE R