IFPDA Presents printfair 09

New York City

:Rembrandt, Renoir and Rauschenberg. Just three of the scores of impressive names spanning the history of printmaking, past and present, that were displayed during the International Fine Print Dealers Association's (IFPDA) annual show, printfair 09. Taking place at the 67th Street Armory, the show opened to a huge crowd on Wednesday, November 5, and continued to attract art lovers throughout the weekend.

Buoyed by decent results at the print auctions in Manhattan, the show saw sustained interest, with 84 dealers taking part in the fair. According to the show's manager Sanford Smith, the fair was down only slightly in size with four fewer exhibitors than last year.

Touted as the "crown jewel of New York Fine Art Print Week," and the largest print fair in the world, the show is all-inclusive. Prints just off the press by both recognized masters of today and the up-and-coming stars, as well as prints whose ink has been dry for centuries are prevalent. An intact set of 15 prints by Albrecht Dürer from the "Engraved Passion" series, made between 1507 and 1512, was among the highlights at David Tunick's stand, while a set of glimmering prints of skulls on foil in pink and green, from 2009, by Damien Hirst was offered at Paul Stolper.

As one might expect, prices for the aforementioned were hefty; however, one of the alluring aspects of the printfair is affordability. "Great art at great prices" was how one collector termed the merchandise presented in a nearby booth filled with a variety of entry level works priced as low as several hundred dollars.

The classic images are what truly makes this fair a memorable event. Etchings such as Edward Hopper's "The Locomotive" from 1923, $155,000, and "Night in the Park" from 1921, $125,000, were displayed on one wall at Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York City. On the far wall was Mary Cassatt's drypoint and aquatint from 1890–91 titled "The Lamp" from an edition of 25 and in the fourth and final state, and also "The Fitting," another drypoint and aquatint from the same period. The pieces were priced at $275,000 and $350,000, respectively.

Interesting images such as Marcel Duchamp's 1967 photolithograph "Fumee de Cigare," $25,000, and Christo's lithograph "Wrapped Building. Project for No. 1 Times Square, 42nd St & Broadway, New York," $17,500, were displayed at the stand of London dealer William Weston. Although certainly not paper, a low relief bronze sculpture titled "Coco, Portrait of Renoir's Son Claude" by Pierre Auguste Renoir was available at $42,000.

Two drypoint etchings by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, circa 1645, were displayed at E.H. Ariens Kappers, Amsterdam, including what the dealer termed a "brilliant early impression" of "Christ Carried To The Tomb" that was marked $34,000, while "Portrait of the Painter Jan Asselyn" was stickered at $20,500.

David Tunick's set of prints by Dürer, "Engraved Passion," were termed by the gallery as "brilliant" impressions. "The finest and richest set we have seen outside a public collection," related the dealer. "Each print in the 'Engraved Passion' is visually complex and exquisitely engraved: each can stand alone as a magnificent work of Northern Renaissance art." The works of James Abbott McNeill Whistler were also displayed at David Tunick with three works displayed, including a lithoprint study of "Maud Franklin, Seated" from 1878, a drypoint etching from 1878 "Old Battersea Bridge," and an etching in brown from 1880, "The Riva, No 2."

Linocut prints by the ever-popular English Grosvenor School artists Sybil Andrews and Cyril Power were featured in several booths, but two stands stood out with exquisite selections. The London galleries of Osborne Samuel and Redfern Gallery both featured the stylistic designs of the two artists with "Haulers" by Andrews priced at $49,000 and Power's "Whence and Whither?" marked price on request (Redfern). A stunning linocut from 1930 by Andrews titled "The Gale" was among the offering at Osborne Samuel.

"We only do American," stated Robert Newman of The Old Print Shop, New York City, as he referenced the numerous works by artists such as Frank Benson, Thomas Hart Benton and Martin Lewis that filled the walls of his booth. The gallery represents the estate of Martin Lewis, and "Subway Steps," a drypoint from 1930, was offered at $50,000. A larger than normal Benton from The Grapes of Wrath titled "The Departure of the Joads" was attracting attention, as was the selection of Bensons that included "Duckblind" priced at $7,500. Other works by Benson included "Second Island Outlet" from 1916 that was offered at $3,000. Newman commented that The Old Print Shop will be hosting an exhibition featuring Benson in December.

A wide variety of merchandise was offered at R. Stanley Johnson, Chicago, ranging from exceptional Old Masters works by Dürer to Twentieth Century icons such as Pablo Picasso. Dürer's 1513 engraving titled "Ritter, Tod und Teufel (Knight, Death and Devil)" listed a provenance beginning in the late Eighteenth Century of William Esdaile, a London banker who is considered to be one of the greatest collectors of Old Master prints.

At the opposite end of the spectrum in Johnson's stand was Picasso's colorful linocut "Femme a la source" from 1962, one from an edition of 50, and Jean Buffet's lithograph "Sourire" from 1961, also from an edition of 50.

Picasso was also featured at Manhattan's John Szoke Edition with two strikingly different stylistic images of the same woman displayed side-by-side. "Visage de Marie-Therese," a lithograph on Japan paper from the 1928, edition of 120, represents a true classical style, abandoned for a Modernist technique seen in the 1934 etching "Portrait de Marie-Therese de Face."

Paris dealer Galerie Andre Candillier offered Picasso's lithograph on zinc from 1963, "Jeunne Femme de Face," one of ten artist proofs, at $22,500. A striking Henri Matisse original aquatint, "Grande Tete de Katia," from a final edition of 50 was $30,000, and a lithograph in 11 colors by Pierre Auguste Renoir from 1898, "Le Chapeau Epingle, 2e Planche," was marked price on request.

German Modernist works in the booth of Jörg Maass Kunsthandel, Berlin, included a 1918 color woodcut in green blue and black, "Mannerbildnis" by Erich Heckel, and also his lithograph in black from 1912 "Blaues Kleid," one of five known examples, three of which are in public collections, and the only one known in black.

The Art of Japan offered a superb selection of color woodblock Orientalist prints, including two works by Hashiguchi Goyo; "Woman Applying Makeup" from 1918 that was priced at $39,500, and "Combing Her Hair" from 1920 that was marked $79,500.

This year's printfair was the 19th that the IFPDA has presented in its 22-year history. IFPDA now consists of 168 elected members in 13 countries. For further information, www.ifpda.org or 212-674-6095.