1936 Vintage WILLIAM MORTENSEN Surreal Spain QUEEN PRINCESS Photo Gravure Art

Description: 1936 Vintage SURREAL QUEEN PRINCESS Spain Photo Gravure Art Decor WILLIAM MORTENSEN Click to Enlarge FINEPHOTO: "Since 1989 - The Name You Can Trust For Fine Vintage Photogravures, Photographs & Antique Prints." - Serving the Design & Decor trades for over 20 years. See our vintage and original prints featured in Coastal Living, Dwell Magazine and other fine quality publications. *WE LIST DOZENS OF NEW ARRIVALS EVERY DAY! Please Visit Our Ebay Store where you can search our World Class Selection of authentic vintage prints by photographer or subject. Browse THOUSANDS of fine vintage photography prints from silver gelatin to photogravure. Print Specifications: Photographer: William Mortensen (American, 1897 - 1965) - Controversial and historically significant American photographer - known for pictorial and experimental imagery. See below for additional information. Title: "Johan The Mad" Subject: Surreal character study Date Of Negative: 1935 Type Of Print: Vintage Photogravure Plate (from the original image - authorized by William Mortensen) Date Of Print: 1936 Paper: Medium weight, rag type, matte finish. Print/Plate Maker: D.H. Murnik, Oakland California. Print Origin: U.S.A. Approximate Image Size: 9 x 8.25 inches (not including print border) Approximate Size Metric: 22.86 x 21.2 centimeters (not including print border) Print Border: No - full bleed print. Condition Grade: Fine++ Verso: Blank Registered Vintage Print Serial #: 4P9WMX12 Certificate Of Authenticity (COA): Yes - individual hand signed COA Shipping: USPS with MUSEUM QUALITY ARCHIVAL PACKING Guarantee: Always 100% Complete Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed! Is it drawing, etching or some form of photography? IT IS PHOTOGRAPHY! This is an authentic (NOT a modern reprint), vintage 1936 photogravure by the controversial American photographer William Mortensen. The negative was made in 1932 by Mortensen and the surreal image was entitled "Johan The Mad". Using a live model, his custom texture screen and sketching directly on the print, Mortensen rendered this conceptual depiction with startling realism. As a pictorialist, Mortensen felt that historical characters (in this case Johan of Castile) should be most importantly regarded as a symbol or exemplification of a universal type or emotion. Describing Johan in his own words Mortensen said: "By her crazy tragic journey through the kingdoms of Europe, bearing withe her the corpse of her beloved husband, she has come to be a symbol and prototype of the tortured quest for something irrevocably lost." Known as the "Michelangelo of Photography", William Mortensen's career spanned from 1923 through the early 1960's with his most famous and noteworthy work being produced in the 1920's through the 1930's. He was one of the most famous photographic artists of his day and an important and influential artist in American history. His unique and innovative work has been called "radical, shocking, unorthodox," even "subversive" - shocking the photographic world of his time. Thought of by many as a genius ahead of his time, he was none-the-less disdained by many "straight" photographers of his day including Ansel Adams, who referred to Mortensen as alternately the "Devil", and "the anti-Christ". A true pictorialist, Mortensen used anything and everything to tell a story in his images from elaborate costumes to drawing backgrounds on the prints with charcoal pencils to help round out the story. An influential technical innovator who mixed the idioms of classical art and literature with Hollywood glamour and illusion, Mortensen's hybrid approach ran cross current against the mainstream "straight" photography of his era and made him a controversial figure in American photography. His photographic techniques involved extensive and complex darkroom and manual manipulations (including custom made texture screens, abrasion, scraping and drawing) of the final print to achieve a look that resembles a cross between a photograph and an etching or drawing. His subject matter was often controversial in nature, especially for the time period, ranging from nudes to character impersonations and dramatic pictorial scenes, some of a foreboding and dark nature. The unique look of his prints made him a virtual "superstar" in the photographic world during his heyday and today his work is sought after by collectors. This plate is from a high quality bound photogravure compilation of his finest work published by Mortensen in the mid 1930's which is now extremely rare. William Mortensen died in 1965. This photogravure print is guaranteed to be authentic and comes with a hand signed CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY (COA) with unique individual registered serial number from the Finephoto Vintage Archive & Database. Under magnification this plate shows a tight "honeycomb", excellent pressing of ink and a wide range of tone - all indicative of a quality sheet fed gravure print. The watermark word "Finephoto" does not appear on the actual print. READY FOR FRAMING & DISPLAY! - The expensive engraved copper plate photogravure process and the resulting fine prints make vintage photogravures highly collectible and excellent vintage prints for framing. HOLOGRAM CERTIFIED: Each vintage artwork comes with a fully authenticated gallery certified Certificate Of Authenticity. This COA contains a unique serial number and small corresponding tamper proof hologram with matching serial number affixed to the backside of the print with archival adhesive. Our exclusive authentication system and the ensuing COA/Hologram not only provides our clients with essential peace of mind but, adds value to the print in the future by providing provenance and the original gallery authenticity guarantee documents. ABOUT PHOTOGRAVURE: Photogravure is an intaglio printmaking process utilizing a carefully etched copper plate made from the original negative/image. Prints are made by pressing suitable paper heavily down upon the inked copper plate which has been intricately etched to varying depths corresponding with the actual tonality of the original negative, This precisely etched plate combined with a fine "honeycomb" screen controls the amount of ink to be transferred to the paper at any given point in direct proportion to the variation of tone in the original image. The result is a true continuous tone print which combines many qualities of a traditional silver based photograph with a tactile feel similar to an etching, engraving or lithograph. Rich in tonal detail, the photogravure process produces delicately rendered shades for a look which is unique in the world of photographic print making. In the early to mid 1900's photogravure was selected (when budgets allowed) for special high quality publishing and portfolio projects, but due to its significant expense and labor, the process is rarely seen today. From Man Ray and Ruth Bernhard to Brett Weston and Ansel Adams, many of the world's most renowned photographic masters have published their images in the rich photogravure process. ***WARNING: The above listing description is COPYRIGHT protected material under United States & International Copyright & Intellectual Property laws. Unauthorized copying or use of ANY PART of this description is prohibited. We vigorously pursue copyright infringement. The entire text of this listing description is Copyright protected - © by K.W. Wright. Track Page Views With Auctiva's FREE Counter

Price: 226.35 USD

Location: Tampa, Florida

End Time: 2025-01-20T19:06:31.000Z

Shipping Cost: 14 USD