Todd Smith

Square Variables XII

1972

Pablo Picasso (after) "Enfant Dejeunant" limited edition print on Arches paper, Hand signed by Marina Picasso lower right and numbered 121/500 lower left From the estate of Pablo Pi...

This is a hand signed in pencil, vintage, limited edition lithograph modern art print, printed in Switzerland on Rives French art paper in 1968. in shades of blue, green, yellow. Jean Carzou (Armenian: Ժան Գառզու, 1 January 1907 – 12 August 2000) was a French–Armenian artist, painter, and illustrator, whose work illustrated the novels of Ernest Hemingway and Albert Camus. Carzou was born Karnik Zouloumian (Armenian: Գառնիկ Զուլումեան) in Aleppo, Syria to an Armenian family. Carzou later created his name from the first syllables of his name and surname, and added a Parisian nickname, "Jean". He was educated in Cairo, Egypt before moving to Paris in 1924 to study architecture. Carzou belonged to the art movement called "La Jeune Peinture" ("Young Picture") of the School of Paris, with painters like Bernard Buffet, Yves Brayer, Jansem, Jean Carzou, Louis Vuillermoz, Pierre-Henry, Daniel du Janerand, Gaston Sébire, Paul Collomb, Jean Monneret, Jean Joyet and Gaëtan de Rosnay. He started working as a theater set decorator but quickly realized he preferred drawing and painting. In 1938, more than a hundred exhibitions of his works were organized in Paris, in the French provinces and abroad. In 1949, he received the coveted Hallmark prize. Carzou, like his contemporaries Salvador Dali, and Pablo Picasso was part of a generation that witnessed many wars and was deeply affected by it. Carzou made his first lithograph in 1951 and was prolific in both the lithographic and etching medium. He had solo exhibitions throughout the world and was elected to the French Academy of Fine Arts in 1977. In 1952, he created costumes and sceneries for Les Indes Galantes of Rameau at the Opéra de Paris. He continued with Le Loup (1953) for "Les Ballets" of Roland Petit, Giselle (1954) and Athalie (1955) at the Opéra and "La Comédie française". Carzou mastered a number of mediums, though his line drawing and engraving would become well known as illustrations for some of the 20th century's most revered writers, including Hemingway, Albert Camus, Ionesco and Rimbaud. Carzou produced stunning work of painted glass and porcelain, in pencils, gauche and pastels as well as oil painting, often choosing to work on textured or irregular fabrics and papers rather than traditional canvas. Carzou was elected a member of the Institut de France, Académie des beaux-arts, succeeding in the seat left vacant by the death of painter Jean Bouchaud in 1977. He was also awarded the National Order of Merit of France. Among his closest friends were the painters Daniel du Janerand, Gabriel Deschamps, Louis Vuillermoz, Pierre-Henry, André Vignoles, Pierre Gaillardot, Rodolphe Caillaux...