 Click for Full Size  Click for Full Size |
Contact: Charles Schwartz Email: cms@cs-photo.com Phone: 212-534-4496 Company: Charles Schwartz Ltd. 21 East 90th Street New York, NY 10128 USA URL: http://www.cs-photo.com Ref.#: CS10688Price: $3,500 Medium: Vintage Gelatin Silver PrintPhoto Date: 1948Print Date: 1948Dimensions: 5.75 x 4.5 in. (146 x 114 mm)Photo Country: United Kingdom (UK)Photographer Country: United Kingdom (UK) DESCRIPTION:McBean, a singular talent in 20th-century portraiture, was known for his unique ability to incorporate surrealist elements into complex, highly crafted compositions in which no detail was left untouched. He immortalized celebrities from Laurence Olivier to the Beatles, his image of actress Vivian Leigh even appearing on a British postage stamp. His chief artistic achievements--and the images most indicative of his personal interests—were a series of Christmas cards that he sent out every year without fail. Most feature the artist himself in an unlikely self-portrait setting, and this image, in which he casts himself (to pardon the pun) as the Greek god Zeus, was said by the artist to be his favorite. McBean, a master at manipulating silhouettes, merges his own face via double exposure with a pre-prepared Greco-Roman plaster bust so seamlessly, it is hard to tell sculpture from "life." Even the tiny figures in the de Chirico-esque landscape have significance: they are images of the artist's mother and brother-in-law. All the Christmas cards were original photographic images. Image is mounted on board, embossed in red on verso in a box/stamp: "PHOTOGRAPH by ANGUS McBEAN & FREDDIE HARRIS." And on bottom of card, also embossed in red: "53 ENDELL STREET, LONDON, W.C. 2 T E M 1 0 1 5." Handwritten in pencil on verso: "1948." Please contact the gallery for a quote on shipping and insurance costs. If applicable, residents of New York will be charged sales tax. International clients will be responsible for their VAT. |