SEE BELOW for the
nearly unique blue sofa, which is SOLD.
Fig. 510i: The Sofa, 17x25 3/4"
The etching for sale is in a newish frame with acid-free mat. On
the back of the same sheet of paper is another etching: Paris (Vue de
Montmartre). Please read the
explanation below the picture.
Figure 499: Paris (Vue de Montmartre) 17 1/2 x
26 7/8"
RARITY: Only one other copy of
Sofa, executed in blue (vs. the usual black version) is
know to exist. The other copy was sent to the Library of Congress by Icart
for copyright registration in 1934. Either to save time and money or for
personal reasons, Icart changed the sofa color to black for the normal
limited-edition that was released to the public the same year. The other
blue Sofa is pictured in my book as figure 510i.
Paris (Vue de Montmartre) was one of the last etching produced by Icart.
Done in 1949, when few people were buying his art, only a few copies are
know.
WHY IS IT PRINTED ON BOTH SIDES?: This rare sheet of paper
with a different etching printed on each side was acquired from a
collection of artwork from Icart's studio. Both images were proof copies
never intended for sale. They were printed by Icart from his original
copper plates to determine the quality and accuracy of his creations. If
he was satisfied with them he would begin producing the limited-edition
run. It is apparent from the quality of both sides of this sheet that
except for some minor dust off, the plates were ready to go. He even took
the time to add the hand coloring to both etchings and pencil-signed the
sheet on the Paris side. There is a 15 years space between his
production of Sofa and Paris. Icart would often sell or gift his proof
copies, but since Sofa was different than the commercially
available black one, most likely, this proof sat in the studio until one
day he needed a large sheet to run a proof copy of Paris. Note
that Paris just fits on the back of Sofa, with no extra
margin on the right side.
How do you frame a two-sided work
of art, especially when both sides feature very rare images? If I were the
owner, I would rotate the images by having two sets of mats, one for each
size image. Flipping it in the same frame is not a difficult task. As you
can see, it is currently framed to favor Sofa with the option of
viewing the reverse through plexi and a single mat.
ALL THE
REFLECTIONS AND SHADOWS ARE FROM POOR PHOTOGRAPHY AND NOT ON THE ETCHINGS
OR MATS.