Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5

The Woman and the Peacock Lithograph by Mr. Blackwell 114/250

About the Item

Utilizing the peacock as an emblematic Art Nouveau animal, a favorite of early 20th-century illustrators and designers, Mr. Blackwell, who was born in 1925, delivers a powerfully aesthetic scene between a woman and a peacock in this lithograph, paying homage to both Art Nouveau and Art Deco. He was among others an American fashion critic, television/radio personality, and fashion designer. We can imagine that this drawing was a study for a dress paying homage to the myth and quintessence of the beauty found within peacock feathers. Like any artist, there is a story, structure, composition, and arrangement of the woman and the peacock, creating an iridescent visual of blue, green, and yellow, a dialogue between forms, curves, and lines. It is said that the Eye on the bird’s feathers reminds us that God is always watching. The off-white background is sober, crossed by two simple circular colored shapes, in the lower part. The two subjects initially appear as one entity, but as we move into the scene, we see that the woman is holding the peacock under her arm as one might hold an accessory. Then very quickly, it appears as the main figure, taking over the entire narrative rather than an accessory or a secondary figure. The peacock's regal posture, with its unfurled feathers, contrasts with the woman's near imbalance, almost as if she was fainting. It could also be interpreted as an intimate and seductive dance, where the two subjects come together as one to pay homage to a poetic and metaphorical world where aesthetics, fashion, and onirism converge. Did you know that peacocks use their train to attract attention? Peacocks are famous for having the largest and most spectacular feathers of any bird. Females, or peahens, have a more modest appearance. In contrast to the peahen, which is represented by the female figure in this lithograph wearing a more discreet patterned dress, the peacock raises its feathers upwards to attract her and spreads them out to form a giant fan. It then shakes them to produce a rustling sound. At this point, the female chooses the peacock with the most beautiful presentation, who becomes the father of her eggs. Mr. Blackwell thus delivers us a wonderful metaphor for the story of creation, the union between inspiration and the one who embodies its essence. Historically, the peacock symbolized immortality in late antiquity and the Middle Ages, adding a layer of depth to this composition. Bio Richard Blackwell, known as Mr. Blackwell was a fashion critic, designer, journalist, and TV/radio personality. He was most widely known for his "10 Best/Worst Dressed List". In the 1960's when he started his design career he was hired by American Weekly magazine for a one-time article on the Best/Worst dressed list he kept in publication for 47 years. It was syndicated and covered in various print, television, and radio outlets during that time. He did dress Yvonne DeCarlo, Jayne Mansfield, Dorothy Lamour, Jane Russell, and Nancy Reagan. He started designing in 1958 and the "House of Blackwell" lasted only until the early 80's when fashion made a shift into a more common and casual way of dressing.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 33 in (83.82 cm)Width: 27 in (68.58 cm)Depth: 0.88 in (2.24 cm)
  • Style:
    Art Nouveau (In the Style Of)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1950s
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Pasadena, CA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU825835329862
More From This SellerView All
  • The Divine Feminine - Black and White Lithograph
    Located in Pasadena, CA
    In this lithograph of a nude woman, the essence of feminine mysticism takes center stage. The work is numbered and signed but with a signature that makes it difficult to read the ide...
    Category

    Late 20th Century American Modern Prints

    Materials

    Paper

  • Black & White Lithograph Portrait of a Young Woman in a Circle
    Located in Pasadena, CA
    Enigmatic lithograph depicting the face of a woman. This artwork evokes emotion and mystery, inviting viewers to take an intimate journey into their ...
    Category

    Vintage 1960s American Modern Prints

    Materials

    Paper

  • Traditional South Asian Woman Portrait Lithograph with Red Seal
    Located in Pasadena, CA
    This traditional Asian woman portrait lithograph features a subject wearing a high black hat on a green background. A red and blue rectangular piece of fab...
    Category

    Late 20th Century Asian Organic Modern Prints

    Materials

    Paper

  • Oriental Lithograph and Watercolor by Umberto Brunelleschi
    By Umberto Brunelleschi
    Located in Pasadena, CA
    The background of this intricate lithograph and watercolor from France depicts a geisha playing a musical instrument, while the foreground depicts a harlequin and two women wearing m...
    Category

    Early 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Paintings

    Materials

    Paper

  • Abstract Black and White Lithograph by Albert Wein
    Located in Pasadena, CA
    Albert Wein was born in 1915. He was very known for his excellent sculptures but was also a prolific easel painter who painted in a purely Abstract Expressionist style. He approached...
    Category

    Mid-20th Century American Prints

    Materials

    Paper

  • Unframed Lithograph by Lucy Siekman
    Located in Pasadena, CA
    An abstract, black and white lithograph contained in an interesting shape enclosed by clean negative space. It is part of a series which would be perfect to make a composition on a w...
    Category

    Vintage 1980s American Modern Prints

    Materials

    Paper, Wood

You May Also Like
  • Raphael Soyer Woman and Child 1969 Modern Lithograph on Paper 114/125 Framed
    By Raphael Soyer
    Located in Keego Harbor, MI
    A contemplative lithograph on paper titled Woman and Child by Raphael Soyer. From the portfolio "Art for ADL" (Anti-Defamation League), 1969. Signed lower right in pencil and in ston...
    Category

    Vintage 1960s Prints

    Materials

    Paper

  • Tender Love, Framed and Signed Lithograph 207/250 by Sandu Liberman
    Located in Delray Beach, FL
    Beautiful Signed and numbered lithograph by Sandu Liberman depicting two lovers embracing each other. Sandu Liberman was a Romanian-born Israeli painter...
    Category

    20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Prints

    Materials

    Glass

  • "Four at the Table", 1940s American Scene Lithograph by Woman Artist
    Located in Philadelphia, PA
    One of the most intriguing and mysterious WPA-era prints we have ever offered, this rare, possibly unique work depicts a group of two women and two men in intense conversation at a crude wood table, in a simple room with cracks in the plaster that show the wood lath underneath. The four almost seem like a group on the lam in a film noir from the period, desperately running from a crime of some kind. Two of the four face downward, deeply focused on the subject at hand, and another is lost in thought, a pipe in his mouth. The fourth is most mysterious of all, facing away from the viewer. but clearly animated and in conversation. The artist was Alice Harold Murphy...
    Category

    Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Prints

    Materials

    Paper

  • Dodik Jégou, Silkscreen, The Ponies, Signed and Numbered 3/250
    Located in Antwerp, BE
    Dodik Jégou. Silkprint, The Ponies,signed and numbered 3250. Dodik Jégou, born Mary-Charlotte Le Berre on May 14th, 1934 in Quimper (Finistère), is a pai...
    Category

    Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Tapestries

    Materials

    Wool

  • Lithograph of Woman by Stephen White Titled 'Visitor'
    By Stephen White (Artist)
    Located in New York, NY
    Lithograph of a woman by Stephen White. Numbered 199/220. Dated 1975. Titled: Visitor. Medium: Woodcut on wove paper, signed and numbered in pencil. Metal frame.
    Category

    Vintage 1970s American Modern Prints

    Materials

    Metal

  • Gustav Klimt 'Sleeping Woman' Lithograph
    By Gustav Klimt
    Located in Philadelphia, PA
    - 9.75"h, 7.75"w, 0.5"d - Paper, wood frame, glass - Condition: Excellent; surface wear to wood frame
    Category

    Early 20th Century Prints

    Materials

    Glass, Wood, Paper

Recently Viewed

View All