Gary Kelley Original Limited Edition Print: Orient Express (Signed and Numbered)

Collectibles : Paintings, Prints

 

Submitted for your consideration is a gorgeous Giclee print by noted artist Gary Kelley. Kelley is a seasoned artist. He created the murals displayed at Barnes & Noble bookstores across the country that depict famous writers of the past two centuries. His work has also been commissioned by publications such as Time, Atlantic Monthly, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker and Playboy. His repertoire also includes illustrations for several books and plays and this year, he was the official artist for the Kentucky Derby.

This particular work captures the romance and the mystery of what is perhaps the most famous train ride in the world. The Orient Express is the setting for innumerable books and movies that involve complex plots and unforgettable characters. In this print, we see a beautiful woman sitting on the train in a man’s gray fedora and wearing an orange coat. Her rich black bag nestles on her knee and the white pearls around her neck add a touch of opulence and elegance to her outfit. The dark glasses that hide her eyes create an air of mystery, as do the shadows that emanate from the partially drawn curtains of the train’s window. Next to her is her pet cat, riding in a carrying case, her eyes glistening as she rests during this journey. Is she headed to Paris or to Istanbul, the two destinations for this luxurious mode of transportation? In either case the image is hauntingly beautiful!

This is an imposing print that is framed in a modern style. The image size is 17.75” x 13,5”, but in the frame, the piece measures a full 40” in height and over 28” across. The print is on Arches Watercolor paper and it is framed in such a way that it appears to be floating in air against a black paper backdrop. The frame itself is a rich black color and the artist signature is seen in the corner of the work in pencil.

This is an artist proof. It is numbered 1/15. This means that this printing consisted of only 15 artist proofs, which are often used by a print shop as a form of compensation for the artist, and that this image is the very first one from that issue. Collectors of limited edition prints often value the first image more than subsequent pieces. We acquired this work from the Park avenue apartment of an editor of a famous fashion magazine and her Broadway composer husband. The Certificate of Authenticity is pasted to the back of the frame and the condition of the frame and the print is excellent.

This is a difficult piece to obtain from a first rate contemporary artist. Our price of $595 is a small cost for such a regal work.

Item ID: RL-5067