Featured Art Deco print on coquille board

This rendering seems to have been printed onto a textured stock to give the illusion that it is an original artwork. I say this because the solid black areas are even in tone. They do not appear to have been laid down by hand.

There is no screen matrix, but an original drawing on this type of paper could be printed as line art on the same type of paper.

It does have a few white areas that have been defined or strengthened by scratching the surface of the paper to remove the black.

There's nothing written on the back of the image. I had this framed 30+ years ago and I do recall it having a paper manufactures imprint that was age appropriate.

That being said, what I really would just like to find out is who might have illustrated it, or if it was published beyond this. It’s a long shot and if nothing come of it, it’s still a great art print to enjoy.

The sheet size is 8” x 10”.



Thanks for looking it over.
James.

 

A big white space like that looks like it was meant to take text.

 

I like it! Could it have been done as a book or magazine illustration? That white area could have been left blank for type.

Edit: Great minds think alike

 

I Wish I could recall WHY that looks so familiar..................

 

I think it just hit me what I’m thinking of......what do you call those small “stamps” you sometimes see printed in the beginning of books that say “This Book belongs to...........”??? THAT’S what I’m picturing seeing that’s familiar.........at least in my ‘mind’s eye’...

 

@Aquitaine Bookplates?

 

YESS!!! Thanks....Wiscbird.....brain freeze!!!!!

 

Great responses and I can take no sides. These comments have all crossed my mind. It is an engaging image that can be used in many ways.

It must be 15 years since the Antiques Road Show passed through and I took it along. They could not identify it. It was felt that it could been made for sale for tourists, such as a Bohemian street artist. They also felt that it was a printed piece.

i need help Thanks for reminding me about image searching. I know it can be done and have not used it in years. Never having searched this print, I took this off the wall today and did a brief word search. I gave image searching a whirl before responding. I will need that in my tool box. Can it be filtered to focus on specific periods?

James.

 

The subject and overall effect are very reminiscent of the work of Virgil Finlay, but the technique is not his. Definitely not Finlay. Unfortunately, an image search on Gurgle turned up no match for the image in question...

 

Here's one of those comments that will get people climbing all over me: I think this is probably from the '60s or '70s. It doesn't ring true to my eye as original Deco. There's a lot of Nouveau in that design.

I've seen that hair treatment somewhere in a Deco context, but as said I don't think this is original Deco so, if true, that would be derivative.

 

I think it may be meant to represent the personification of Liberty bringing light to Europe with her torch. (The negative space can be "read" as an abstract map somewhat along the lines of this.)

Debora

 

Just an aside comment, @i need help, am loving your peaceful & colorful Avatar!!!! Is that Lupine?

 

That's interesting, positioning this with WWI. I like it.

To me it has always been humanity dancing with the fire from Prometheus.

James.

 

My immediate reaction was Lucifer (Light Bearer), then saw figure is female, which takes out Prometheus too. Next thought was Aurora/Eos, the Dawn, but light & dark areas are in the wrong relationship, so more like dusk, leaving Night behind. Something allegorical at any rate. And does look like a print.

 

Aka, ex-líbris.

 

World War II. The key to identifying the character is the torch she carries.

Debora