Lot 3699 - A213 Estampes & Multiples - jeudi, 26. juin 2025, 10h00
PIERRE SOULAGES
(Rodez 1919–2022 Nîmes)
Eau-forte XX. 1972.
Colour aquatint. 43/100. Signed in pencil lower right: Soulages. Image 33 x 44 cm on Arches wove paper (with the watermark) 50 x 66 cm. Published by La Hune, Paris. Printed by Lacourière-Frélaut, Paris.
Catalogue raisonné:
Eau-Forte XX, dating from 1972, is part of a series of abstract etchings that are characterised by a radical reduction of form and a consistent emphasis on black as the dominant ‘colour’. In this work, huge stripes come together in great gestural movements. The picture does not appear composed in the traditional sense, but rather as the result of a process in which material, technique and gesture meet on an equal footing. Soulages is not so much interested here in narrative content or symbolic references but rather in the immediate presence of the picture surface as a place of movement.
The distinctive character of Eau-Forte XX also lies in the specific texture of the black, yellow and rust tones. The aquatint technique makes it possible to create the colours in different densities and depths - from velvety matt surfaces to almost shiny metallic areas. This differentiation gives the etching a surprising haptic quality and vibrancy.
In the context of the 1970s - a time when many artists were re-examining the traditional medium of graphic art - Soulages' work stands for an uncompromising exploration of the visual and material possibilities of abstract art. Eau-Forte XX is not only a masterpiece of technique, but also an expression of the existential dimension that runs through Soulages' entire oeuvre: the pursuit of an image within the spectrum of abstraction.
The distinctive character of Eau-Forte XX also lies in the specific texture of the black, yellow and rust tones. The aquatint technique makes it possible to create the colours in different densities and depths - from velvety matt surfaces to almost shiny metallic areas. This differentiation gives the etching a surprising haptic quality and vibrancy.
In the context of the 1970s - a time when many artists were re-examining the traditional medium of graphic art - Soulages' work stands for an uncompromising exploration of the visual and material possibilities of abstract art. Eau-Forte XX is not only a masterpiece of technique, but also an expression of the existential dimension that runs through Soulages' entire oeuvre: the pursuit of an image within the spectrum of abstraction.
CHF 18 000 / 28 000 | (€ 18 560 / 28 870)
Vendu pour CHF 22 500 (frais inclus)