Migration. by Georges Braque, 1882-1963

Georges Braque, 1882-1963
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Migration.

Original etching with aquatint, printed with a relief plate on specially textured paper. 1962. Signed in pencil. Numbered (15) from the edition of 90 (plus a few (?20) H.C. - Hors Commerce not for sale -proofs). Published for Braque by Galerie Maeght, Paris 1962.
Ref: Vallier - Georges Braque L'Oeuvre Gravé no 172.

Excellent impression with very fresh colours. On pale cream wove Rives paper, specially textured to give a linen effect. Excellent condition; one very faint fleck in the outer margin. Full margins. Sheet: 21 1/2 x 16 7/8ins. Plate: 9 1/4 x 6 3/4ins (235x172mm)

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Perhaps the most famous critical comment about Braque's art is that by Picasso at the time of his death: Braque 'was one of the two great incomprehensibles that everyone can understand' (the other being Joyce). It was a brilliantly astute summary of the art of one of the greatest European painters of the mid 20th century - a painter who was in many ways very traditional in his approach, in his handling of paint and his choice of subjects, but who at the same time was intuitive, emotional, poetic and constantly mysterious in the 'concept' of his themes.

Baque's later subjects of 'birds in flight' illustrate this duality very clearly. On the one level they are superbly beautiful images of one of the most inspirational elements of nature; on the other the symbolism of their soaring flight, the subliminal emotions which our admiration of that movement inspires, the quality of poetry that they express is extremely complex in its effect on our minds. From cubism through to the post-war 'natural' themes Braque's art remains an extremely beautiful, deeply moving enigma.

Braque was always an inspired and intuitive printmaker, from his earliest works in the 1930's onwards. The way that in this etching he has used textural embossing and strongly bitten aquatint surfaces to heighten the impact of the imagery and composition is typical of this inspiration.