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42. Kurt Seligmann (1900-1962) Le Roi du Charbon (King Charcoal)
Original drawing in pen and black ink, 1933, on yellowish paper backed with another sheet, inscribed with the title and date in pencil upper right; repaired and retouched tears not affecting the image. This is apparently the preliminary drawing for the etching of the same name that appeared in Les Vagabondages Héraldique in 1934 and later (1936) issued in collotype reproduction in Pierre Courthion’s Métiers des Hommes. Like most works of the Swiss-American artist, it doesn’t mean or signify; it just is. While Seligmann’s titles sometimes give a clue as to what was in his mind, his brand of surrealism, which had enormous influence in the United States, was more about the exploration of a unique artistic personality than it was about content per se. The specific title here is minimally informative, but when we know that it comes from a series called “Heraldic Wanderings,” we see that it is a kind of emblem, almost a coat of arms, an artistic tradition that dates far back in time. The basket and the bellows now seem to have a significance, but the drawing still does not have a meaning; it just is. And that is as it should be. Early Seligmann drawings are rarely found. This one has been authenticated by Arlette Seligmann and Timothy Baum. |
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