Michel Henry [Monte Carlo] Original silk screen print, signed by the artist [framed]

Limited to 300 copies. Image size: 65 x 81 cm. Frame size: 95 x 111 cm. Created in 1985.

Silkscreen printing was invented in the early 20th century. It is a screen printing technique in which color seeps through the mesh of silk or other materials and is transferred to paper or fabric. Areas where the color should not seep through are blocked off. The number of plates is equal to the number of colors used. It was used in the art field by American companies such as Warhol in the 1950s, and became popular as an art printing technique. By allowing a large amount of color to seep out, it is possible to create a thickness similar to that of oil paint, making it the perfect printing technique for Michel Henry, who has beautiful matière (the texture of paint applied with a brush or other tool).

Michel Henry is a painter who mainly paints flowers, and together with Buffet and Brasilier, he is one of the leading painters in the 20th century French art world. His paintings give off a sense of happiness, so he is called the painter of happiness in France, and the king of poppies in America, because he paints many poppies. His transparent colors are likened to jewels. Red is said to be the color of ruby, blue is the color of sawaire, green is the color of emerald, and deep brown is the color of topaz. Michel Henry's paintings are collected by the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, the Swedish royal family, the Principality of Monaco, the Saudi Arabian royal family, and others. Galerie Adeka has been the sole distributor of Michel Henry in Japan since 1995, planning Michel Henry exhibitions in famous department stores and galleries throughout Japan, producing original prints signed by the artist himself, selling painting prints, and managing copyrights.

This original silkscreen print is a two-part series depicting the most beautiful seas in the Mediterranean, Monte Carlo in the Principality of Monaco and Venice in Italy, and was produced by a publisher in Paris in 1986. It was purchased directly from the publisher in Paris in 2004.

Work Description

The delphinium is painted against the backdrop of a mountain jutting out close to the sea and the coastal cityscape of Monte Carlo in front of it. It is a cool work in blue and green. The Monte Carlo Casino building is painted in the center of the canvas, just to the right of the bouquet. Monte Carlo is a city in the Principality of Monaco and is the center of the tourism industry that supports Monaco's economy. The casino is an important source of tourism and income. The casino building is characterized by a dome-shaped roof with a clock on top and two dome-shaped spires on both sides. The two spires and the blue dome roof between them are painted, making it clear that it is Monte Carlo. The beautiful cities of the Cote d'Azur, such as Monte Carlo, Cannes, and Saint-Tropez, are all formed next to a large, curving bay, making it difficult to tell them apart from each other in the distance. Cannes is marked by the gray spire clock tower of the city hall, Saint-Tropez by the yellow spire clock tower, and here Monte Carlo is marked by the dome roof and the casino with a pair of spires on both sides.

Gallery Adeka Yasuhiro Takeda