Georges Braque, Page 47 from Si je mourais la-bas, 1962

Artist: Georges Braque (1882 - 1963)
Title:Page 47 from Si je mourais la-bas, 1962
Reference:Vallier 181
Medium:Color Wood Engraving on Wove Paper
Image Size:16 3/4 in 12 1/4 in (42.5 cm x 31.1 cm)
Sheet Size:16 3/4 in 12 1/4 in (42.5 cm x 31.1 cm)
Framed Size:35 3/8 in x 30 ½ in (89.8 cm x 77.4 cm)
Edition:This work is numbered from the edition of 20 in pencil in the lower left margin; aside from a few artist's proofs.
Signature:This work is hand-signed by Georges Braque (Argentueil, Val-d'Oise, 1882 - Paris, 1963) in pencil in the lower right.
Condition:This work is in excellent condition.
ID #w-4569
$12,000 $8,000

Historical Description

Created to accompany poetry in the book Si je mourais la-bas by Guillaume Apolliaire, this lovely woman detailed in a soft delicate profile we can only assume must be the "lover" repeatedly referenced. Black, rippling lines flutter out from the head of the woman, creating a focal point and a bold counter to the thin lines of her profile. Dying, the fallen man reflects upon his life and experiences, leaving these parting words "And be the happiest being the prettiest. O my only love and my great folly." With such tenderness and care Braque reflects these words perfectly in his delicate strokes and whimsical line work as the woman portrayed is certainly captivating, but at what cost, as that poor soul found out.

Created in 1962, this color wood engraving on wove paper is hand-signed by Georges Braque (Argentueil, Val-d'Oise, 1882 - Paris, 1963) in pencil in the lower right. Numbered from the edition of 20, this work is one out of a series of 18 such color wood engravings that accompany text by Guillaume Apolliaire in the book Si je mourais la-bas which was published by Louis Broder, Paris and printed by Féquet and Baudier, Paris.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Georges Braque If I Die Over There (Page 47 from Si je mourais la-bas), 1962 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnès and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work.

1. Vallier, Dora. Braque: The Complete Graphics. New York: Gallery Books, 1982. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 181 on pp. 247.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work.

About the Framing:
Georges Braque If I Die Over There (Page 47 from Si je mourais la-bas), 1962 is framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.