Natura Morta con Vasetto e Bottiglie. Still Life with a Vase and Bottles. by Giorgio Morandi, 1890-1964

Giorgio Morandi, 1890-1964
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Natura Morta con Vasetto e Bottiglie. Still Life with a Vase and Bottles.

Original etching in black ink. 1945/46. Signed and dated 1946 in pencil. Numbered (10) in pencil from the edition of 30 impressions only. (There were also 3 proofs). Printed by the artist. Issued for the first 30 examples of the album: 'Anni di Bologna' 1946. Issued by Edizione del Milione, Milan 1946. Rare.
Ref: Vitali - Morandi Opera Grafica no 112

Excellent very rich impression with plate tone. On pale cream japan paper. Excellent condition. Full margins. Sheet: 9 7/8 x 6 3/4ins. Plate: 6 7/8 x 5 1/4ins. (175x135mm)

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The focus of Morandi?s art was the description of space modulated by light. From the 1920?s until his death in 1964 he sought to interpret this concept through two main themes, ?Landscape? and ?Still-life?. His still-life compositions were expressed through a constantly changing arrangement of the vases, bottles, jugs and paint containers which he found on the table in his studio. In their spare arrangement of shapes, with the overlapping of echoed forms and the rhythmic pattern of curves and angles, they have become amongst the most famous and admired expressions of the concept of pure still-life in the art of the 20th century.

In his painting Morandi achieved an extraordinary luminosity through the light transparency of the tones of his palette, but it was perhaps in the medium of etching that he made his greatest contribution to the history of the still-life. He developed a technique in which the contours of the forms of the vases or bottles are used to contain a highly worked but freely drawn pattern of parallel strokes of shading. The quality of incision in these lines, derived from the nature of the etching medium itself, linked to the play of the ink against the surface of the paper, creates a mysterious often apparently dark surface from which there emanates an almost mystical inner glow of light.

Morandi?s etchings are amongst the greatest and most individual graphic works by any 20th century artist. Mostly only printed in very small editions they have become very rare on the market. ?Still Life with a Vase and Bottles?, above, was only printed in an edition of 30 impressions. Dating from the important period in his oeuvre around the end of the war years, it was issued together with a little booklet about the history of Bologna. The original copy of this booklet which accompanied this impression of the etching is available to the purchaser of the print.