Authentic Vintage WILLIAM MORTENSEN Photo Gravure | ||
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By WILLIAM MORTENSEN | ||
Fine Photo Galleries: "Since 1989 - The Name You Can Trust For Fine Vintage Photogravures, Photographs & Antique Prints." - Serving the Design & Decor trades for over 25 years. See our vintage and original prints featured in Coastal Living, Dwell Magazine and other fine quality publications. This Vintage Print Comes Professionally Corner Mounted On Acid Free Conservation Mat Board and Ready To Place In A Standard Size Frame. Print Specifications: Photographer: William Mortensen (American, 1897 - 1965) - Controversial and historically significant American photographer - known for pictorial and experimental imagery. See below for additional information. Title: "Preparation For The Sabbot" Subject: Surreal nude study - witch, occult, horror, fantasy. Date Of Negative: 1927 Type Of Print: Authentic Vintage Sheet Fed Photogravure/Héliogravure. Date Of Print: 1936 Paper: Medium weight, rag type, matte finish Print/Plate Maker: D.H. Murnik, Oakland California. Print Origin: U.S.A. Approximate Size Inches: 10.5 x 8.25 inches Condition Grade: Fine++ Verso: Blank Vintage Print Archive #: 5SAB4MB16-LO Certificate Of Authenticity (COA): Yes - Gallery Certified COA from Fine Photo Galleries. Hologram Protected: Yes - tamper proof hologram certification affixed to print mount verso and COA. Guarantee: Always 100% Complete Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed! Is it drawing, etching or some sort of photography? IT IS PHOTOGRAPHY! This is an authentic (NOT a modern reprint), vintage 1936 photogravure by the controversial American photographer William Mortensen. The negative was made in 1927 by Mortensen and was entitled "Preparation For The Sabbot". It is a rare example of a two person Mortensen composition. Using live models, exacting make-up and a variety of "props", Mortensen staged this fantastic scene with startling realism. The image depicts a beautiful young witch, eager and exuberant, being rubbed with "magic ointment" by an old witch. According to tradition, rubbing the young lass with the "witch butter" (made from the fat of young children) would enable her to fly to her assembly. It was based on an account by Reginald Scot in 1584 which Mortensen researched. Known as the "Michelangelo of Photography", William Mortensen's career spanned from 1923 through the early 1960's with his most famous and noteworthy work being produced in the 1920's through the 1930's. He was one of the most famous photographic artists of his day and an important and influential artist in American history. His unique and innovative work has been called "radical, shocking, unorthodox," even "subversive" - shocking the photographic world of his time. Thought of by many as a genius ahead of his time, he was none-the-less disdained by many "straight" photographers of his day including Ansel Adams, who referred to Mortensen as alternately the "Devil", and "the anti-Christ". A true pictorialist, Mortensen used anything and everything to tell a story in his images from elaborate costumes to drawing backgrounds on the prints with charcoal pencils to help round out the story. An influential technical innovator who mixed the idioms of classical art and literature with Hollywood glamour and illusion, Mortensen's hybrid approach ran cross current against the mainstream "straight" photography of his era and made him a controversial figure in American photography. His photographic techniques involved extensive and complex darkroom and manual manipulations (including custom made texture screens, abrasion, scraping and drawing) of the final print to achieve a look that resembles a cross between a photograph and an etching or drawing. His subject matter was often controversial in nature, especially for the time period, ranging from nudes to character impersonations and dramatic pictorial scenes, some of a foreboding and dark nature. The unique look of his prints made him a virtual "superstar" in the photographic world during his heyday and today his work is sought after by collectors. William Mortensen died in 1965. This vintage photography print is guaranteed to be authentic and comes with a hand signed Gallery Certified CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY (COA) with unique individual registered serial number from the Fine Photo Galleries Archive & Database. READY FOR FRAMING & DISPLAY! - Vintage photography prints are highly collectible and perfect for framing and display. Your vintage print will arrive ready to be placed directly into a standard size frame.
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