Antoni Tàpies - original large vintage lithograph - c1982

This is an absolutely stunning, large original (not an offset print) vintage lithograph by Antoni Tàpies. The lithograph is produced on high quality paper and was published in 1982 by Derrière le Miroir, in their volume No. 250 entitled 'Hommage a Marguerite et Aime Maeght'. Our photo is good but does not come close to capturing the full beauty of the colours - lithography at its best (please scroll down for an explanation of the lithographic process and for a biography of Antoni Tàpies)..

The lithograph has never been framed. It has been stored in appropriate conditions as part of a serious private collection. It was acquired when published and has not changed hands since.

This lithograph would sell for around £650, and often more, in London galleries, which makes my price incredibly good value, especially since it is an opportunity to aquire the lithograph from one original owner. Please see our other items for more vintage lithographs.

This beautiful lithograph comes from the private collection of Stephen Baring. The collection comprises two inherited collections plus twenty five years of personal collecting.

BIOGRAPHY
Antoni Tàpies (1923-2012) was a Catalan painter best known for his use of unusual materials to create paintings with a wall-like appearance. Born in Barcelona, he was encouraged at a young age to develop an interest in literature and the arts, and while studying law at Barcelona University, he started taking night classes in drawing at the Academia Valls. Two years later, in 1946 Tàpies abandoned his studies to pursue an artistic career. With the exception of some drawing classes, Tàpies was a self-taught artist, his early works mimicking the styles of Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh.

In 1948, he became one of the founding members of the Dau al Set avant-garde coalition of writers and artists who turned to Surrealism as a way of resisting the conservative aesthetic promoted by the Franco regime. After producing Surrealist-influenced works for several years, Tàpies' works in the 1950s became increasingly abstract and aligned with the Art Informel movement. His 1979 essay, Nothing is Mean, defended his elevation of base materials into art objects, becoming an influential document of 20th century avant-garde art. Tàpies experimented with many media and techniques, and earned an international reputation as one of the most original artists of the 20th century.

LITHOGRAPHY
A lithograph is not just a cheap mass produced print. The process dates from 1796 and is far more complicated and therefore valuable. Lithography is a method for printing using a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface. Invented in 1796 by German author and actor Alois Senefelder as a method of publishing theatrical works, lithography can be used to print text or artwork onto paper or other suitable material.

Lithography originally used an image drawn (etched) into a coating of wax or an oily substance applied to a plate of lithographic stone as the medium to transfer ink to a blank paper sheet, and so produce a printed page. In modern lithography, the image is made of a polymer coating applied to a flexible aluminium plate. To print an image lithographically, the flat surface of the stone plate is roughened slightly etched and divided into hydrophilic regions that accept a film of water, and thereby repel the greasy ink; and hydrophobic regions that repel water and accept ink because the surface tension is greater on the greasy image area, which remains dry. The image can be printed directly from the plate (the orientation of the image is reversed), or it can be offset, by transferring the image onto a flexible sheet (rubber) for printing and publication.

A beautiful and valuable lithograph that will be much admired framed in your home or office. Will provide an excellent financial investment as well as a possession to enjoy. You are welcome to return for a full refund if you are not entirely happy. Also, please feel free to view at our central London showroom.