Description
If you have ever visited Musée Louvre in Paris, you may have seen the French artist Braque’s birds on the ceiling of the Henry II Room done in 1953. This lithograph appeared in the pages of the French art revue Verve in 1955, and is an early sketch done for the ceiling’s design. The 1955 issue of Verve was entirely devoted to Braque’s sketchbooks, including this wonderful lithograph.
Verve is a rare publication featuring Mid-Century Modern art and essays. The editor Tériade commissioned original art created expressly for his visionary pages. They were extremely well printed, with each color plate “tipped in” — a printing technique allowing different lithographic methods to be used for each artwork. Often the artist would supervise the printing at Verve’s lithography studio.
Offered here is a page from the 1987 portfolio of Verve artwork printed in Paris by Flammarion Press. Although it is an offset lithograph, it was printed with skill and is an accurate rendition of the original Verve page, with the usual verso text. The print measures 10¼ × 13¾, matted in white 4-ply acid free board, and framed in matte gray with a museum glass face. Overall dimension framed is 19 × 22 inches.
