Antoni Tàpies (1923–2012) An Original Signed and Numbered Lithograph

Antoni Tàpies (1923–2012) An Original Signed and Numbered Lithograph from Album St. Gallen, 1965 Spanish (Catalan), 1965 A striking original colour lithograph by the internationally acclaimed Spanish artist Antoni Tàpies (1923–2012), from his celebrated Album St. Gallen, published in 1965 by Erker-Presse, St. Gallen, Switzerland. Executed in a rich, earthy palette of deep reddish-brown, burnt umber and black, the composition displays Tàpies’ distinctive exploration of texture, abstraction and symbolism. The heavily worked surface, intersecting black lines and almost architectural central form are characteristic of the artist’s celebrated Art Informel style. Printed on fine-quality paper with deckled edges, the lithograph is signed in pencil by the artist and numbered 31/75, with the embossed blindstamp of Erker-Presse, St. Gallen, to the lower margin. Album St. Gallen was produced in 1965 and comprises a series of ten original lithographs, reflecting Tàpies’ fascination with the expressive qualities of materials, surface and abstract form. Antoni Tàpies is widely regarded as one of the most significant European artists of the post-war period. His work is represented in major international collections, including the Tate, Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Fundació Antoni Tàpies in Barcelona. Presented in a silver-coloured frame with a wide mount, this is a particularly decorative and atmospheric example of Tàpies’ graphic work. Details Artist: Antoni Tàpies (1923–2012) Title: Untitled, from Album St. Gallen Date: 1965 Medium: Original colour lithograph on Rives BFK wove paper Publisher: Erker-Presse, St. Gallen, Switzerland Edition: 31/75 Signature: Signed in pencil, lower right Printer’s mark: Erker-Presse embossed blindstamp, lower left Sheet dimensions: Height 76 cm × Width 57 cm Framed dimensions: Height 87 cm × Width 68 cm Condition: Presented framed, with some age-related discolouration to the mount. Antoni Tàpies (b. 1923, Barcelona, d. 2012, Barcelona) was a Catalonian painter, sculptor, and art theorist who was instrumental in the advancement of modern art, most notably through his investigations into nontraditional materials. Considered one of Spain’s most important artists of the twentieth century, Tàpies first became exposed to Modernism during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39, during which he taught himself to paint. Coming of age in a moment of extreme upheaval and conflict, he was deeply invested in the power of art to advance political change, and in 1948 helped co-found the first Post-War movement in Spain, known as Dau al Set. Tàpies later gravitated toward the movement dubbed informal art, incorporating humble materials such as clay, waste paper and rags into his paintings. In the 1950s, he began mixing marble dust into his pigments, which created the striking matte effect that defines many of his most iconic works. Tàpies represented Spain in the 1993 Venice Biennale. Notable solo exhibitions include retrospectives at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris; Nationalgalerie, Berlin; Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York; and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid.