Lithograph, 1972

Edition : 187/300

Publisher : Galerie Putman

Printer : Clot, Bramsen & Georges (Paris)

Catalog : Chenivesse n°9

48.30 cm. x 64.80 cm. | 19.02 in. x 25.51 in. (image)

Handsigned by the artist in pencil
Certificate of authenticity
Very good condition

Arches Paper
Trace of restoration in the upper border

With this lithograph, Dream of a Young Girl, we are entering the pictorial world of Niki de Saint-Phalle (1930-2002), a major French-American artist who was part of the New Realist group in the 1960s.
In this work, typical of her 1970’s style, the line is meticulously precise and the colors are stimulatingly vivid. There is a joyfully childlike aspect to the artist's drawing, as she uses her art as a kind of diary to express her state of mind or her world view. She juxtaposes figures and objects without creating a narrative. They are like symbols of her artistic universe, they are the world of Niki de Saint-Phalle.
Here are some elements to decipher.
First of all, the double-headed snake. This animal was for a long time an object of terror for the artist, but by drawing it, she has in a way appropriated it, she wanted, she says, "to transform fear into joy". Here, it is like a symbol of the artist's resilience. The tree-snake is also the Tree of Life, as shown in her monumental sculpture in the courtyard of the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Angers, in France.
Several elements refer to the Tarot de Marseille, a divinatory practice that fascinated the artist to the point that she was inspired to create her Tarot Garden in Garavicchio, Tuscany (Italy) an immense park of monumental sculptures. Here, the moon can refer to the imagination. The sun refers to intelligence and the power it brings. The wheels refer to the Wheel of Fortune, therefore to destiny.
In the tarot, each person can project their questions and concerns into the cards, which thus become a kind of reading grid. This is also how we can interpret this work by Niki de Saint-Phalle; how does it resonate with the viewer, how does he perceive it. A work that is a joyful introspection.

Ref : LCD6640