Gary Kelley Original Limited Edition Print: La Danseuse (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 is a lovely portrait of a dancer in repose. Please note the sense of the ironic evoke by the artist through this image. Although the piece is entitled “La Danseuse (The Dancer)”, he has not chosen to depict her in an active pose that relates to her profession. We do not see her on stage, or on a dance floor, or even in a rehearsal room. No, she is pictured lying on a divan, her head pressed against the arm of the sofa while her feet remain on the floor. Her face is quite beautiful. Short fashionable black hair forms her classic features while her bright red painted lips contrast with her formal pink gown and the deeper color of the furniture. Look at how he has captured her expression. She appears to us to be more disturbed than exhausted. We can imagine that she is at a party, and that something has occurred to upset her, so she has retreated to the solitude of an empty room where she can compose herself and reflect upon her circumstances.

This is a striking work. The image size is 16.5” x 22”. When framed the size increases to 28” x 39”. 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-5068