George Braque (1882 - 1963)
Char Blanc (Chariot IV) (s.6721)
Medium: Plaster relief with hand colouring, The signature is engraved directly into the plaque by Georges Braque in the lower left.
Published by: Galerie Maeght , Paris
Note 1: The plaster casts of the edition were individually etched and hand-painted, making each work unique and original. There is a considerable element of hand working in this plaster which has a very “paintlike” quality it. You can see that it is based on the etching but the high relief, different finish and rough surface of the plaster give this a quite different feeling from the graphic work. Created in 1958, the image of the “Char Blanc IV” was etched into a copperplate by Braque; An editioned series of 75 impressions on Rives paper were made from the plate. However our example is not from that series : a further series of impressions were cast in plaster, 12 of which were hand-painted in tones of gray (there is also another series of 12 in brown). Braque extended this technique further by hand-signing the work directly into the plaster in the lower left of the image. We know this to be the case since the signature is not evident on the printed etching version of the work. It is numbered 9/12 on the reverse, both engraved and hand-painted.
Note 2: Considered an ancient symbol of power and glory, the chariot dates back to about 2000 BC. Braque tapped into this inherent symbolism and history as he created this exciting and eventful scene. Featuring bucking horses in flight while pulling the ornate, white chariot behind them, this work is full of movement and action. The plaster medium adds to this affect of movement, as the image itself is raised slightly from the surface, creating a textural plain on which light and shadow are cast from the bumps and ridges. This is truly a unique work of art as each plaque is hand-painted in gray and engraved by Braque with his signature, making each work dissimilar to one another. Considered to be one of his most interesting and innovative ceramics, Braque appears to have transformed this medium into a world of his own.
Note 3:Reference: Vallier, Dora. Braque: The Complete Graphics, Catalogue Raisonné, New York 1982. Listed and illustrated as cat. no. 115 on pg. 173 ; Maeght Editeur 1959, page 100
Edition: 9/12 impressions, engraved and hand painted in gray on reverse.
Condition: In very good condition.
Public Collections: Galerie Maeght, Saint Paul de Vence. We ourselves observed this work in a showcase there on a recent visit.
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