Michel Henry [Picnic in Burgundy] Original silk screen print, autographed by the artist [framed]

Limited to 300 copies. Image size 80 x 91 cm. Frame size 111 x 129 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, which creates a beautiful matière (the texture of paint applied with a brush, etc.), making it the perfect printing technique for Michel Henry.

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 was produced in 1985 by a publisher in Paris in extra large size as part of a diptych called "Sunshine in Provence, Picnic in Burgundy". It was purchased directly from the publisher in Paris in 2004.

Work Description

Children are enjoying a picnic in the fields of Burgundy (Burgundy in French) in east-central France. It must be spring, as poppies are blooming. Beyond the meadow where the children are is a lavender field? It is purplish, but the purple color is still pale. It will probably be a while until the lavender is in full bloom. Poppies are blooming in the foreground of the canvas, separated by small spaces. They tilt from side to side, swaying joyfully. My gaze shifts from the long, slender trees a little further away to the children and the fields, then the lavender fields and low hills, and finally reaches a blue sky dotted with orange clouds, where I wander for a while. I can experience the joyous sensation of being in the French spring fields.

Gallery Adeka Yasuhiro Takeda