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Untitled is a color lithograph executed in 1972 as part of the Fresh Air School portfolio — a landmark collaborative publishing project conceived and produced at the intersection of the American and European avant-gardes, printed by the legendary Maeght atelier in Paris and published by the Museum of Art at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh. One of the most celebrated and historically significant portfolio projects of its era, the Fresh Air School brought together a constellation of the most important American artists of the postwar generation under the auspices of one of America's most distinguished cultural institutions, producing a body of printed work of exceptional quality, historical resonance, and enduring collector significance.
Sam Francis occupies a singular and luminous position in the history of postwar American art — a painter and printmaker of extraordinary gifts whose work sits at the productive intersection of Abstract Expressionism and the lyrical abstraction of the School of Paris, combining the gestural energy and emotional intensity of the New York School with a chromatic sensibility of unparalleled refinement, radiance, and spiritual depth. Born in San Mateo, California, in 1923, Francis began painting during a prolonged hospitalization following injuries sustained as a US Air Force pilot in the Second World War — an origin story of profound resonance for a body of work so deeply preoccupied with light, space, air, and the experience of physical and spiritual transcendence. His move to Paris in 1950, and his subsequent immersion in the culture and aesthetics of the School of Paris, gave his work a chromatic sophistication and painterly elegance that distinguished it decisively from the work of his American contemporaries and established him as one of the most internationally celebrated American artists of his generation.
In Untitled, from the Fresh Air School portfolio, Francis deploys his characteristic visual language — explosive, luminous, chromatically exuberant — with a freedom and mastery that is entirely consistent with the full range of his achievement as a printmaker. The color lithograph, printed by the Maeght atelier — the most celebrated and technically accomplished fine art print studio in Paris, whose roster of artists included Miró, Giacometti, Chagall, Calder, and Braque — achieves a level of chromatic intensity, tonal subtlety, and surface presence entirely worthy of Francis's vision. The combination of Maeght's unparalleled technical expertise and Francis's extraordinary gifts as a colorist and gestural abstractionist produces a work of genuine visual power and lasting beauty — a testament to the vitality and ambition of the Fresh Air School project and to the enduring relevance of Francis's contribution to the history of postwar art.
Published by the Museum of Art at the Carnegie Institute — one of America's oldest and most distinguished cultural institutions, founded by the industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in Pittsburgh in 1895 — the Fresh Air School portfolio carries an institutional provenance of the highest order, confirming both the significance of the project and the enduring importance of the artists it brought together.
The work is in very good condition.
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Is this an original work by Sam Francis? Yes. Untitled is an authentic color lithograph from the Fresh Air School portfolio, executed in 1972, printed by the legendary Maeght atelier in Paris and published by the Museum of Art at the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh — one of the most significant and historically resonant portfolio projects of its era.
What is the Fresh Air School portfolio? The Fresh Air School is a landmark collaborative publishing project of 1972, bringing together a constellation of the most important American artists of the postwar generation, printed by the Maeght atelier in Paris and published by the Museum of Art at the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh. The portfolio represents one of the most significant intersections of American and European avant-garde printmaking of the era.
Who printed the portfolio? The portfolio was printed by the Maeght atelier — the most celebrated and technically accomplished fine art print studio in Paris, whose roster of artists included Miró, Giacometti, Chagall, Calder, and Braque. Maeght's unparalleled technical expertise in fine art lithography ensures the exceptional chromatic fidelity and surface quality of this impression.
Who published the portfolio? The portfolio was published by the Museum of Art at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh — one of America's oldest and most distinguished cultural institutions, founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1895. The institutional provenance of this publication confirms the significance and historical importance of the project.
What is the edition size? This work is from the approximate edition of 6,000 — a large edition reflecting the ambition and reach of the Carnegie Institute's publishing project, conceived to bring the work of the most significant postwar American artists to the widest possible audience.
What printing technique was used? The work is a lithograph in colors — the medium in which the Maeght atelier achieved its greatest and most celebrated technical achievements, producing impressions of exceptional chromatic intensity, tonal subtlety, and surface presence for some of the most important artists of the twentieth century.
What are the dimensions of the piece? 38 × 55 cm (14 7/8 × 21 3/4 in)
Is the work framed? No. The work is presented unframed.
What is the condition of the work? Very good condition. Full condition report available upon request.
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