Jean Wolff

Eclipse

2002

Bold abstract aquatint by Johnny Friedlaender (Polish-French, 1912-1992). Comprised of two main sections, this piece is full of detail and texture. The upper layer is a reddish tan, whereas the bottom layer is a rich brown. Geometrical shapes are arranged such that they almost form mirror images of each other, but vary enough to create interest and a sense of movement. Signed in the lower right corner. Numbered 56/350 in the lower left corner. Includes original certificate of authenticity. Presented in a new cream mat with foamcore backing. Mat size: 42"H x 32"W Paper size: 33.75"H x 24.5"W Johnny Friedlaender was a leading 20th century artist, whose works have been exhibited in Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy, Japan and the United States. He has been influential upon other notable artists, who were students in his Paris gallery. His preferred medium of aquatint etching is a technically difficult artistic process, of which Friedlaender has been a pioneer. Johnny Gotthard Friedlaender was born in Pless (Silesia) and his early studies were in Breslau under Otto Mueller. In 1936 Friedlaender journeyed to Czechoslovakia, Switzerland, Austria, France and Belgium. At the Hague he held a successful exhibition of etchings and watercolours. He fled to Paris in 1937 as a political refugee of the Nazi regime with his young wife, who was an actress. In that year he held an exhibition of his etchings which included the works: L 'Equipe and Matieres et Formes. From 1939 to 1943 he was interned in a series of concentration camps, but survived against poor odds. After freedom in 1944 Friedlaender began a series of twelve etchings entitled Images du Malheur with Sagile as his publisher. In the same year he received a commission to illustrate four books by Freres Tharaud of the French Academy. In 1945 he performed work for several newspapers including Cavalcade and Carrefour. In the year 1947, he produced the work Reves Cosmiques, and in that same year he became a member of the Salon de Mai, which position he held until 1969. In the year 1948 he began a friendship with the painter Nicolas de Stael and held his first exhibition in Copenhagen at Galerie Birch. The following year he showed for the first time in Galerie La Hune in Paris. After living in Paris for 13 years, Friedlaender became a French citizen in 1950. Friedlaender expanded his geographic scope in 1951, and exhibited in Tokyo in a modern art show. In the same year he was a participant in the XI Trienale in Milan, Italy. By 1953 he had produced works for a one-man show at the Museum of Neuchâtel and exhibited at the Galerie Moers in Amsterdam, the II Camino Gallery in Rome, in São Paulo, Brazil and in Paris. He was a participant of the French Italian Art Conference in Turin, Italy that same year. Friedlaender accepted an international art award in 1957, becoming the recipient of the Biennial Kakamura Prize in Tokyo. In 1959 he received a teaching post awarded by UNESCO at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro. By 1968, Friedlaender was travelling to Puerto Rico, New York and Washington, D.C. to hold exhibitions. That year he also purchased a home in the Burgundy region of France. 1971 was another year of diverse international travel including shows in Bern, Milan, Paris, Krefeld and again New York. In the latter city he exhibited paintings at the Far Gallery, a venue becoming well known for its patronage of important twentieth century artists. From his atelier in Paris Friedlaender instructed younger artists who themselves went on to become noteworthy, among them Arthur Luiz Piza, Brigitte Coudrain, Rene Carcan...

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