L'Oiseau aux Etoiles. Bird with Stars. by Georges Braque, 1882-1963

Georges Braque, 1882-1963
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L'Oiseau aux Etoiles. Bird with Stars.

Original etching with aquatint printed with black and white inks on cream-toned paper. 1959/60. Signed in pencil. Inscribed in pencil by Braque 'H.C.' - a proof apart from the edition. One of a small number of proofs on special paper, before the issued edition of 70 signed impressions, and 165 unsigned. Printed at the studio of Crommelynck, Paris 1960. Issued in the series: 'Tir à l'Arc' by Broder.
Ref: Vallier - Braque l'Oeuvre Gravé no 153 (ii)
Provenance: Archive of the publisher Louis Broder.

Excellent strong crisp impression. On pale cream tinted wove japan-type paper. Excellent condition. Full margins. Sheet: 14 1/8 x 10ins. Plate: 8 3/4 x 5 1/2ins (223x138mm)

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The use of the cool white ink within the areas of mat black, created through dense aquatint and brush-bitten line, and the counterpoint that these create against the warm cream of the special paper underline the constant creativity of Braque?s printmaking.

The symbol of the ?flying bird?, an expression of the lyrical freedom of life and evolution in nature which was a central idea in Braque?s art from the 1950?s onwards, occurs throughout his graphic work. In this composition he linked this form to the shapes of celestial objects - the moon and stars - recalling the surrealist interest in the way that such elements stimulate the expression of the emotions of the subconscious.