Alex Katz (b. 1927) has been dedicated to art-making since the 1950's - however, it wasn't until the 60's when he established his signature 'flat' style. Over the succeeding decades, Katz kept the tradition of figurative painting alive.
For Katz, printmaking has always been an essential part of his process, and as an integral part of his oeuvre. He first began experimenting with printmaking while attending Cooper Union, where he earned his BA in 1949. Though he focused on painting in his early career, he embraced printmaking in the mid-1960s with fervour, and has since created more than 400 editions of lithographs, etchings, silkscreens, woodcuts, and linoleum cuts.
This captivating lithograph depicts Katz's preferred model and muse: his wife Ada. Standing calmly amidst elongated falling raindrops, Ada is aloof, remote, and disconnected from her environment. Presented in close-up, the elements of the composition brim with an irrepressible cinematic quality. Further enhancing the image’s effect, Katz strategically positions the tilted raindrops surrounding Ada, allowing some to appear as though they are running down her cheeks.
The print is based off a 1972 painting of the same name, one of the artist's most well-known canvases, that was used as the front cover for the catalogue of his major solo show at the Whitney in 1986. "Blue Umbrella" is a sumptuous example of the Katz's oeuvre, conceived as an ode to his enduring muse, whose elegance remained constant amid the shifting landscape of American society.
This print is held in the permanent collection of the Brooklyn Museum.
Questions about this piece? Contact us, call +1.416.704.1720, or visit our Toronto gallery.
"Blue Umbrella"
USA, 1979
Lithograph in eleven colors
Signed and numbered "25/120" by the artist in pencil, lower edge
20.25”H 30” W (sheet)
27"H 37"W (framed)
Printed by Styria Studio, Inc., New York
Published by GHJ Graphics Inc., New York
Overall good condition. Consistent fading. Full report on request.
Literature:
- Maravell 121
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