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Young Explorer Charles Fracè The lion is native to the broad plains of Africa and a small portion of India. However, he legends and traditions of many lands show that the great cat once roamed throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia. From the sculpted temple gardens of Thailand to the stylized figures of European heraldry, the “King of Beasts” is a symbol of strength, majesty, and courage. Lion cubs, however, seem a far cry from this image. Born in litters of two or three, the cubs can see from birth, and almost immediately begin their playful cavorting. Lions are social cats, and physical contact is an important facet of life in the pride. Affectionate rubbing, bussing, and licking reinforce the bond between members of the group. As might be expected, the frolicking cub makes contact with all members of the pride and, for all his adventures, the young explorer roams very far from home. This limited edition print is: Signed by the artist The edition size/date is: 2,500/1983 The issue price was: $60.00 The image size is: 23¾x17¾ The print was published by: American Masters Foundation This print has never been framed and has been stored flat in its original folder since publication. We do not use the term “mint” condition when referring to any of the art prints we sell on eBay. That is not because the prints are damaged or necessarily in any condition other than “mint.” There are two primary reasons for our avoidance of the “mint” condition terminology: First, we are trying to get this attractive art in the hands of someone who can display and enjoy it; we are not trying to target “collectors.” Second, most of the prints we list on eBay were published over 20 years ago. While we have owned them since original publication, handled them with care, and stored them flat, time and original packaging can sometimes work together to leave slight “acid burn” marks on the backs of the prints, or possibly in the white borders on the front where non-conservation adhesives were used on the original folders for the prints. We do not ship any prints with image areas which are not perfectly suited for being framed. So, while most of the prints we sell on eBay are “limited edition” prints and would qualify for the term “mint” condition, we are selling them as art to be framed and enjoyed. We sell the exact same prints in “collector markets” at the original retail prices or even appreciated values where appropriate. However, as stated above, due to the prices at which we make them available on eBay and the age of many of them, we do not use the term “mint” condition. If you are truly interested in a print we list and insist on a “mint” condition representation, we can provide a collector value at which we are willing to make that representation.
Charles Fracè Charles Fracè was born in 1926 in a small town in eastern Pennsylvania. He began drawing at five and taught himself to paint when he was fifteen. Fracè remembers wanting to be an artist from an early age. His self-instructed talent earned him a scholarship to Philadelphia=s Museum School of Art, where he graduated with honors. In 1955, Fracè began a professional career as a freelance illustrator in New York City. Eventually, he became one of the nation=s most sought-after illustrators of wildlife. However Fracè soon grew frustrated by the restrictions of illustrating ideas conceived by others and longed to paint some of his own. He finished only one, which his wife Elke took to a nearby art gallery. They insisted on displaying the painting in the gallery, and it sold that same afternoon. In 1973, with the issue of Fracè=s first limited edition print, he had finally made the permanent change to fine art. Fracè brings to his art over three decades of personal research and a close kinship with animals. Fracè=s art has been the subject of two books. Perhaps the greatest honor of his career came in October 1992, when Fracè was recognized with a one-man exhibit of thirty-six of his paintings at the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
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