Corneille - 1973 'Danse Africaine' - 50 year old colour screen print, a good investment

Some important details of the artwork:

Title: 'Danse Africaine'
Artist: Corneille
Year: 1973
Technique: Color screen printing on Arches paper.
Edition: 99 signed copies and some artist's proofs
Copy: Number 39 from an edition of 99
Paper size: 32.0 x 25.2 cm
Features: Signed and numbered in pencil by the artist on the paper.
Edition and printing: La Ficelle, Epinay-sur-Orge.
Condition: Good to very good
Extra: Corneille hand-wrote the name of the screen print on the paper

Literature:

Patricia Donkersloot-Van den Berghe (1992).
Corneille: The complete graphic work 1948-1975
Amsterdam: Meulenhoff,
pp. 261-265 - number 347
See the last 3 photos

For the art lover, more information about portfolio H, where this silkscreen print originated, can be found below.

H 1974
Plaque in cover and wooden case, (347 x 263 mm, spine 20 mm wide, 15 sheets, of which 10 double) with a text by Cérès Franco and 5 graphic series in colour; signed by the author and the artist, numbered and dated on the back. Edition: 99 copies and some artist's proofs. Edition and printing: La Ficelle, Epinay-sur-Orge.

The Ficelle
The portfolio (text and loose-leaf silkscreens) was published in 1974 by occasional printer and publisher La Ficelle in Epinay-sur-Orge. It is entirely silkscreened on handmade Arches, and put in a wooden case. The silkscreens are dated 1973 and provided with titles by Corneille: 'La pucelle', 'Danse Africaine', 'Le désir sémaphore', 'Une reine' and 'Les deux amies'.

There seems to be little to no connection between text and images. The plates are drawn in a style that is less known from Corneille.

The portfolio 'H' by Corneille, a collaboration with the recently deceased gallery owner and art collector Cérès Franco. The latter was responsible for the rather bizarre texts, dedicated to the letter H ('ache').

Corneille and Cérès Franco: An Artistic Connection

Cérès Franco, born on May 17, 1926 in Bagé (Brazil) and died on November 16, 2021 in Toulouse, was an influential gallerist and art collector of Brazilian origin. She left an impressive legacy in the world of contemporary art through her work as a gallerist, art critic and founder of an art foundation that houses a rich collection of paintings and sculptures.

Biography of Cérès Franco

Cérès Borbafarinha was born in Bagé, in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. At a young age, she developed a passion for the arts, fueled by her extensive reading experiences. She studied art history at Columbia University and the New School in New York, where she further deepened her knowledge and love for art.

In 1951 she moved to Paris, where she had the opportunity to visit the great museums and galleries of Europe. These experiences inspired her to become an art critic. A year later, in 1952, her daughter Dominique Polad-Spadoni was born, who later became a gallery owner herself.

In 1962, Cérès Franco organized her first painting exhibition in Paris. She gathered around her a diverse range of artists, ranging from naive and brutal art to artists from the Cobra movement and popular expressive arts. During the 1960s, she developed an intense and unique artistic partnership with the Dutch painter Guillaume Corneille, one of the founders of the Cobra group. Their collaboration took them to Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Ibiza, the Netherlands and New York.

Cérès Franco was the director of the gallery L'Œil de bœuf in Paris. In 1994, she bought two houses in Lagrasse, where she housed her collection and opened it to the public. She eventually donated her collection to the department of Aude, which led to the creation of the Coopérative-Musée Cérès-Franco in Montolieu, a public museum that exhibits her collection.

Until her death, Cérès Franco lived in a care facility in the Bourrassol district of Toulouse.

Guillaume Corneille and Cérès Franco

Guillaume Corneille, born Corneille van Beverloo, was a prominent Dutch artist and co-founder of the Cobra movement, an avant-garde art movement founded in Paris in 1948. The name Cobra is an acronym of the cities of Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam, where the founders came from. The movement was characterized by spontaneous and experimental artistic expressions, often with a focus on childlike simplicity and expression.

Corneille's work, characterized by a vibrant use of color and an emphasis on abstract forms and landscapes, suited Cérès Franco's eclectic tastes. Their collaboration in the 1960s resulted in numerous exhibitions and artistic projects that resonated in both Europe and America. Together they organized exhibitions and worked on projects that pushed the boundaries of contemporary art.

Influence on Contemporary Art

The influence of Corneille and Cérès Franco on contemporary art is considerable. Cérès Franco's work as a curator and gallerist brought a wide range of art styles and artists to the attention of a wider audience. Her ability to connect and support artists, combined with her keen eye for quality, made her a crucial figure in the art world.
Corneille's art continues to be appreciated today for his unique style and contribution to the Cobra movement. Often exploring themes of joy, freedom, and nature, his work has had a lasting impact on the art world.

Legacy

Cérès Franco and Guillaume Corneille have both left an indelible mark on contemporary art. Franco's contributions as a gallerist and collector have not only helped many artists exhibit their work, but also enriched the art world with her extensive collection and passion for art. Corneille's vibrant and expressive paintings continue to inspire and resonate with art lovers around the world.
Their collaborations and individual contributions continue to inspire future generations of artists and art lovers, and their legacy lives on in the collections and works of art they left behind.

More information:
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A9r%C3%A8s_Franco
https://www.museeceresfranco.com/
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