This exquisite lithograph, titled Sans titre (Untitled), by Leonor Fini, from the folio Parallelement (Parallel), Illustre de lithographies originales de Leonor Fini (Illustrated with Original Lithographs by Leonor Fini), 1969, was published and printed by Pierre de Tartas, Paris-Bievres, Paris, 1969. Executed as a lithograph on grand velin d'Arches paper, this work exemplifies the technical refinement and sophisticated aesthetic that defined the finest Parisian printmaking of the mid-twentieth century.
Measuring 15.94 x 11.61 inches, the work is unsigned and unnumbered as issued. Printed on grand velin d'Arches paper, the composition reveals Finis distinctive blend of psychological intensity, theatrical sensuality, and symbolic mysticism.
Artwork Details:
Artist: Leonor Fini (1907–1996)
Title: Sans titre (Untitled), from the folio Parallelement (Parallel), Illustre de lithographies originales de Leonor Fini (Illustrated with Original Lithographs by Leonor Fini)
Medium: Lithograph on grand velin d'Arches paper
Dimensions: 15.94 x 11.61 inches (40.5 x 29.5 cm)
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1969
Publisher: Pierre de Tartas, Paris-Bievres, Paris
Printer: Pierre de Tartas, Paris-Bievres, Paris
Catalogue Raisonne Reference: Monod, Luc. Manuel de L'amateur de Livres Illustres Modernes: 1875-1975. Ides and Calendes, 1992, No. 11122.
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the folio Parallelement, published and printed by Pierre de Tartas, Paris-Bievres, Paris, 1969
Notes:
Excerpted from the folio (translated from French), Justification of draw: a unique example on Japon nacre, including two original watercolors specially executed for the work, two vouchers to shoot, a suite of all the plates on grand velin d'Arches, a continuation of all the plates on Japon nacre, signed by the Artist, as well as a series of the plates refused on grand velin d'Arches; a unique example. XX examples on Japon nacre with an original watercolor of the Artist executed for the work, a suite of all the plates on grand velin d'Arches, a continuation of all the plates on Japon nacre, signed by the Artist, as well as a series of the plates refused on grand velin d'Arches; lettered from A to T; XXX examples on Japon nacre including a suite of all the boards on grand velin d'Arches, as well as a suite of the plates refused on grand velin d'Arches; numbered from I to L. LX examples on grand velin d'Arches, including a suite of the six double-boards on grand velin d'Arches, as well as a series of the plates refused on grand velin d'Arches; numbered from XXXI to XC. CCC grand velin d'Arches, with the definitive state of the illustrations; numbered from XCI to CCXC; In addition, some examples were drawn, all nominative, reserved for the Artist, the Publisher and those who contributed to the production of this album. All examples are signed by the Artist on the colophon, the publisher, and endorsed by Ministere d'Huissier de Justice. On Japon nacre, it was taken from the sequels of the plates numbered and signed by the Artist.
About the Publication:
Parallelement (Parallel), published and printed in 1969 by Pierre de Tartas, Paris-Bievres, is one of the most refined and luxurious livres d'artiste of the late twentieth century, uniting Paul Verlaines celebrated poetry with the visionary imagery of Leonor Fini. Produced with uncompromising standards of printing, paper, and typographic craftsmanship, the folio exemplifies the golden era of French limited-edition printmaking. Issued in multiple paper states—from Japon nacre to grand velin d'Arches—the album reflects the meticulous care, material richness, and artistic ambition characteristic of Pierre de Tartas' finest publications, affirming its status as a masterwork in the tradition of French illustrated albums.
About the Artist:
Leonor Fini (1907–1996) was an Argentine-born Italian-French painter, illustrator, author, and stage designer whose electrifying fusion of myth, mysticism, eroticism, and psychological depth established her as one of the most unmistakable and influential artistic voices of the twentieth century. Celebrated for depicting women as sovereign, enigmatic, and psychologically commanding beings, Fini rejected the patriarchal hierarchy of Surrealism even as she exhibited alongside its foremost figures, forging instead a fiercely independent path defined by theatricality, female autonomy, and visionary imagination. Her richly symbolic universe filled with sphinxes, priestesses, witches, and androgynous guardians was shaped by a broad constellation of influences including Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, while also drawing deeply from Symbolist painting, Renaissance portraiture, and Venetian colorism. Moving among artists such as Max Ernst, Giorgio de Chirico, Leonora Carrington, Dorothea Tanning, Meret Oppenheim, and Pavel Tchelitchew, she nevertheless maintained a singular vision whose impact reverberates through the work of later creators including Kiki Smith, Cindy Sherman, Marlene Dumas, Tracey Emin, Pierre et Gilles, Laurie Simmons, and numerous feminist and queer artists who embraced her exploration of gender, identity, and psychological mythology. A prolific illustrator and designer, Fini also shaped European performance culture through celebrated costumes and stage designs, while her paintings entered major museum collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, the Museum of Modern Art in Buenos Aires, and the Moderna Museet. Known for her imaginative freedom, elaborate personal style, and legendary Parisian salon, she remains a defining figure in feminist and avant-garde art history. The highest auction record for Leonor Fini was achieved when her self-portrait Autoportrait au Scorpion sold for 2,319,000 USD at Sotheby's New York on May 12, 2021, underscoring the dramatic rise in appreciation for her visionary legacy.
Keywords: Leonor Fini print, Parallelement Fini,
Leonor Fini lithograph...