Pierre Mortier Art

Old Brownstones-- New York. c. 1985. Etching and drypoint. 8 7/ 8 x 12 1/3 (sheet 16 5/8 x 16 1/4). Fourth state. Printed on cream wove paper, on the full sheet with deckle edges. A rich impression in pristine condition, housed in an archival folder. This etching has never been matted. Provenance: the artist's estate. Signed, titled, and annotated 'Fourth state -- wheel changed to left' and 'Steves' in pencil. A dramatic view of a Manhattan neighborhood. Painter and printmaker Lawrence Nelson Wilbur...

ED BAYNARD (American, 1940-2016) Flowers, Flowers in a Vase, Etching. 1979/1980, Hand signed, dated l.r., Hand numbered from small edition 12/24, Dimensions: 23 by 19 in. Framed 25 by 21 in Born in Washington, D.C. in 1940. Raised in Washington, D.C. and newly graduated from high school, he flew to Europe living off and on in Paris and London. During this time, he designed costumes for Jimi Hendrix, worked as a graphic designer for the Beatles as well as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Returning to New York, he dedicated his life to art after a surprise success with his first show in 1971 at the Willard Gallery in NYC. Ed's images are Zen-like in their simplicity and grace rendered in a flat, graphic style that recalls Japanese Ukiyo-e prints. His watercolors are luminous, like the rest of his representations regardless of the medium. The Japanese inspired ukiyo-e style woodblock prints and lithograph works he created at Tyler Graphics in 1980 contain a 20th century "floating world" sensibility. Ed's wish was to bring harmony, color, and a meditative stillness to this chaotic planet. He did so in a gentle and powerful way, always as an expression of his deep gratitude for the love and beauty, friendship, and concerns he held dearest. His first solo exhibition was in 1971 at New York's legendary Willard Gallery on the recommendation of Agnes Martin. Baynard went on to have exhibitions at galleries including Betty Parsons Gallery, New York (1973); Marian Goodman Gallery, New York (1977); John Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco (1980); and Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York (1980/81).. Baynard manages to retain a simplicity of form inspired by a love of Japanese Woodblock prints. His new works reflect the same poetry of his earlier paintings, retaining his stylized compositions with their Zen like minimalism and Oriental calm, along with a new sense of rhythm and movement. Baynard uses familiar themes such as flowers, plants, pots, and vases, incorporating them into his delicate watercolor still lifes, thus creating stunning visual feasts. He was included in the 1972 Landscape exhibition at MoMA NY alone with other luminaries James Boynton...

Artist: Jean Sariano Algerian-American (1943-) Title: Private Parties Date: 1979 Medium: Etching Image Size 10 x 23 inches Sheet size: 17 x 31 inches Signature: signed lower right Edition: 300 This one: 136/300 This wonderful, playful etching and aquatint is immediately identifiable as the work of Jean Sariano (1943-). It is numbered, titled and signed 136/300, “Private Parties”, Jean Sariano in the lower margin, all in pencil. The print measures 17” x 31” the sheet and 10” x 23” the plate. It is in excellent, pristine, never-framed condition. Born in 1943 in Oran, Algeria, Frenchman Jean Sariano studies art at L’Ecole Régionale et Municipale Des Beaux Arts d’Oran. He is forced to escape the Algerian Revolution to Vichy, France in 1956 with his mother and five siblings. From there, Sariano moves to Paris to pursue his art studies at the world famous L’Ecole Nationale Supérieure Des Beaux Arts de Paris. To fund his studies, he becomes janitor at Giraudon in Paris - a photo agency specialized in art. There he meets all the Masters, and very quickly he is in charge of classifying thousands of painting reproductions “A dream job for the eyes”. This job allows him to make his first trip to New York where he immediately falls in love with the city. It is at this time that he starts painting bicycles...

Artist: Dali, Salvador Title: Nude with Guitar Series: Secret Poems of Appolinaire Date: 1967 Medium: Drypoint etching Unframed Dimensions: 15" x 11" Framed Dimensions: 25.25"...

Artist: LeRoy Neiman, American (1921 - 2012) Title: Interference Year: 1972 Medium: Etching, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 54/150 Image Size: 7.5 x 8.4 inches Size: 9 x 9.25...

This is a 16th century original hand-colored copperplate engraved map of Frankfort, Germany entitled "Francenbergum, vel ut alij Francoburgum Hassiae Opp" by Georg Braun & Franz Hogenberg, from their famous city atlas "Civitates Orbis Terrarum", published in Cologne, Germany in 1595. This is an English translation of an excerpt from the original text in the atlas: "Frankenberg or, according to others, Francoburgum, a town in Hesse. Charlemagne vested the town of Frankenberg with many freedoms and privileges, which it still enjoys to this day, and on account of its valiant and victorious soldiers awarded a signet, upon which there formerly appeared a golden castle with a tower, together with the letter F and a golden crown. Frankenberg, seen here from the northeast, lies on a hill above the River Eder. The hillside is covered with fields neatly separated by bushes and fences. Soaring above the town is the massive Liebfrauenkirche, which was modelled on St Elizabeth's church in Marburg. The New Town was founded in 1335 at the foot of the hill (right) and merged with the Old Town as late as 1556. Frankenberg was founded by Conrad of Thuringia in 1233/34 to prevent the archbishops of Mainz from expanding their sphere of influence...

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is a New Orleans landmark at 941 Bourbon St. Like most New Orleans legends, history of Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is a gumbo of tru...

CROSSINGS Contemporary artist Frederick Mershimer created the mezzotint engraving entitled "Crossings" in 1998. This impression is signed, titled, and dated in pencil. The printed ...

Sexual tension and ambiguity in this dynamic etching of a man making advances on a sleeping woman. in the background a beast approaches another man. Signed, titled and numbered in pe...

Bibi Valentin. 1859. Etching and drypoint. Kennedy catalog 50 state ii; Glasgow catalog 34 state ii. 6 x 8 7/8 (sheet 8 11/16 x 10 11/16). Glasgow records 44 known impressions. A rich impression with burr, printed on watermarked laid paper with full margins. Signed and dated in the plate. Housed in a 20 x 16-inch archival mat A young girl, sits facing the viewer, leaning on her left elbow, legs extended to left. She wears a high-necked smock and buttoned boots...

This is an original 16th century copperplate originally hand-colored engraved map of View of Seravalle, Italy entitled "Seravallum Celeberrimum Marchiae Tarvisiniae in Agro Foro Juliensi Opp. - Seravalli, quam vides, Spectator, iconem, operi huic nostro suis sumptib. . . ." by Georg Braun & Franz Hogenberg, from their famous city atlas "Civitates Orbis Terrarum", published in Augsberg, Germany in 1575. The map depicts a view of Seravalle, now Vittorio Veneto, in San Marino, Italy, north of Venice, in a topographically accurate bird's-eye view from the south. A water-filled moat is seen to the south of the city walls and farmland to the east. Two men are depicted standing on a hill in the lower right in conversation next to grain sacks and a grazing horse, while a younger man behind them to the right herds a mule carrying presumably pigs. A very colorful and ornate title cartouche is in the upper center and coat-of-arms are in the right and left upper corners. Serravalle lies in an idyllic setting in the foothills and surrounded by orchards. St Mary's Cathedral with its tall bell tower is prominent in the center of the town. The marketplace and town hall with a bell tower in the square are depicted. Houses and shops are around the main square. Serravalle's importance as an agricultural centre is emphasized by the figures in the foreground. In 1337 Serravalle was conquered by the Republic of Venice. In 1866 the town was united with neighbouring Ceneda to form the town of Vittorio Veneto. The following is an English translation of an excerpt from the French description of the city on the back of the map: "Serravalle, a market town renowned for cloth, wine and grain, is in such a beautiful situation that the number of its inhabitants, attracted by the loveliness of the place, has grown so much at times that the wall encircling it has had to be enlarged for the third time. The city with the surrounding town once belonged to the Church in Ceneda as an imperial fief. It subsequently became the seat of the Da Camino family (a princely house that at that time was one of the five most noble in all Italy). Now the city is under the sway of the Venetians but is prudently governed by them. For they send only one city councillor with instructions to ensure that justice prevails and to collect duties. In all else, power lies in the hands of the noble families." This is a translation of the Latin in the title cartouche on the front: "The picture of the town of Serravalle, which you see, viewer, has been contributed to our work entirely at his own expense by Minutius, son of Hieronymus Minutius, a noble gentleman and one renowned for the far-reaching competence of his jurisdiction. We saw him sojourning in Cologne, where he was on business for Gregory XIII; while our good wishes accompany him, we should also like to accompany him on his way with this remembrance, even though it might be against his will, so that even those who have not seen him may learn of his excellence. However, those who do not yet know him will also see his excellence if God the Almighthy does not summon erring souls too soon back to the eternal seat of the Blessed." References: Van der Krogt 4, 4728, State 1; Taschen, Braun and Hogenberg, p.331; Fauser, #14960 This striking hand-colored city view is printed on laid, chain-linked paper with wide margins. The sheet measures 16" high by 21" wide. There is a central vertical fold as issued and French text on the verso, with Latin on the front. There is some discoloration in the upper and right margins which may represent some watercolor paint from the time of the original hand-coloring of the map. There is a small hole to the right of the upper portion of the vertical fold, which is only visible when held up to light and an area of reinforcement on the verso of the lower vertical fold. The map is otherwise in very good to excellent condition. Braun and Hogenberg's 'The Civitates Orbis Terrarum' was the second atlas of maps ever published and the first atlas of cities and towns of the world. It is one of the most important books published in the 16th century. Most of the maps in the atlas were engraved by Franz Hogenberg and the text, with its descriptions of the history and additional factual information of the cities, was written by a team of writers and edited by Georg Braun. The work contained 546 bird-eye views and map views of cities and towns from all over the world. It gave graphic representation of the main features of the illustrated cities and towns, including the buildings and streets. Although the ordinary buildings are stylized, the principal buildings are reproduced from actual drawings created on location. The principal landmarks and streets can still be recognized today. In addition, the maps often include the heraldic arms of the city, the nature of the surrounding countryside, the important rivers, streams and harbors, even depicting stone bridges, wooden pontoons, flat-bottomed ferries, ships and working boats, wharves and jetties, as well as land-based activities, including horsemen, pedestrians, wagons, coaches, and palanquins. Small vignettes are often included which illustrate the trade, occupations and habits of the local inhabitants, such as agriculture, paper-making and textiles, as well as local forms of punishment, such as gibbets, wheels, floggings etc. Large figures dressed in their local costume are often presented out of proportion in the foreground. The aim of the authors was to give as much information as possible in a pleasing visual form. They succeeded in creating maps that were both informative and decorative works of art. The atlas is a wonderful glimpse of life in medieval Europe. Georg Braun (1541-1622) was German Catholic...

The Letter. 1921. Drypoint. Appleby 107. 7 x 9 3/8 (sheet 10 1/2 x 15 7/16). Edition 100. Illustrated: Fine Prints of the Year, 1925; Salaman, Modern Masters of Etching: Edmund Blamp...