Lithograph, 1956

Edition : 74/95

Publisher : Maeght (Paris)

Catalog : [Maeght n°1008, Vallier p.292]

55.00 cm. x 112.00 cm. | 21.65 in. x 44.09 in. (paper)

37.00 cm. x 104.00 cm. | 14.57 in. x 40.94 in. (image)

A few restored creases in the margins

The lithograph we propose is emblematic of Braque's productions during this so-called mature period, when the artist was very interested in birds. The bird motif is already recurrent in his work from the 1930s. The commission of the fresco "The Birds" for the ceiling of a room in the Louvre in 1952 by André Malraux further accentuated Braque's affection for this motif.

If the artist does not imitate birds in his art, he is keen to reinvent their forms, in a process of metamorphosis of the object. Thus, the bird is no longer this living being, this animal from nature, but becomes a sign. Braque seeks the meaning of the bird, symbol of freedom, rebirth and spirituality, it is for him the allegory of the imagination.

The bird, with white plumage dotted with a brown gradation, all wings spread, flies in a blue sky accented with gray areas. The harmony of color gives the canvas a certain serenity. We find the cubist approach of Braque in the angularity of the contours and the triangular patterns occupying the plumage. But here, purity, simplicity and clarity are the key words. The large horizontal format of the work is in dialogue with the dignified appearance of the bird and accentuates the striking work of one of the greatest innovators of modern art.

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

Ref : LCD4981