James McBey

Artist and Model

1925

This surreal etching portrait of Dorian Gray by Jim Dine in blue ink features the literary protagonist dressed in a white suit. His face is obscured by a mass of hair, tangles of which seem to grow from the sleeves, pant legs, and from beneath the jacket. Dine's notes are written on the image: at his feet reading "WHITE BOOTS" and "White Vinyl Suit" alongside the jacket. On the left edge of the image handwritten text reads "DORIAN GRAY AT OPIUM DEN". In Oscar Wilde's novel Dorian Gray keeps opium in an ornate box in his home, and frequents sites of consumption on the East side of London: “There were opium dens where one could buy oblivion, dens of horror where the memory of old sins could be destroyed by the madness of sins that were new”. An opium den is where Sybil's brother James discovers Dorian. The brother attempts to capture the man he believes is responsible for the death of his sister. Dorian flees to his home, ultimately slashing the portrait that has kept him young for so long. Etching by Jim Dine from one of his most important artist’s books – completely designed and illustrated by Dine. Study for the Rings on Dorian Gray’s Hand from “The Picture of Dorian Gray...

One of David Hockney’s Six Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm illustrations, taken from the story of ‘The Little Sea Hare’. This tower was likely inspired by Hockney’s travels throu...

The frontispiece for Hockney’s Six Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm portfolio and book features Catherina Dorothea Viehmann, the elderly German woman who recounted fairy tales to ...

This etching from David Hockney’s celebrated Six Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm portfolio depicts the somewhat obscure story Old Rinkrank, which Hockney chose to illustrate beca...

A nice rare early etching by the noted American Artist Will Barnet titled "Mary", created in 1936.

Adolph Gottlieb, David Smith, Dorothy Dehner, Edgar Levy, Lucille Corcos and Esther Gottlieb Collaborative Etching With 6 artist (Hand Signed by 3 artist), ...

Dennis Corrigan gives us a fresh, admittedly whimsical, interpretation of the important nineteenth-century American author, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Known to most of us for the 'dark rom...

Bernard Sanders (1906-1967) was an extremely gifted portrait artist. and a master at showing us the sitter's age. This is clearly not a young woman. She's, well, early middle age? ...

David Driesbach studied at the University of Illinois in 1940 and 41. In 1942 he enlisted in the Marines and served until 1945. His artistic education ...

Raoul Dufy - Haussmann Architecture - Original Etching Dimensions: 13 x 10". Edition of 200 1940 Edition Les Bibliophiles du Palais, Paris Raoul Dufy Born in 1877, the French painte...