Érik Desmazières (1948) - Scena atelierowa

ÉRIK DESMAZIÈRES Studio scene – original graphic, artist’s proof (EA) Érik Desmazières born November 21, 1948 in Rabat, Morocco French graphic artist, draughtsman and contemporary artist The dominant technique in his work is etching and other intaglio printmaking techniques Title: studio scene / atelier Technique: intaglio printmaking, most likely etching with related techniques Designation: EA, épreuve d’artiste Signature: handwritten signature in pencil in the lower right area of the print Inscription: “atelier” and designation “EA” Dating: to be determined based on catalogue identification Dimensions of the print: 30 × 30 cm Dimensions of the frame: 55 × 55 cm Condition: [to be completed after inspection] DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK An exceptionally detailed, monochrome composition depicting the interior of an artistic studio, with the artist at work occupying the central position. The scene also includes elements related to the painting studio, a female figure, a painting on an easel, an elaborated interior architecture, a railing, and a cat in the foreground. The scene has been developed with the extraordinary precision characteristic of the most recognizable language of Érik Desmazières. The artist builds space using an extremely fine line, dense hatching, and subtle tonal differences, creating an almost illusionistic depth of the interior. The motif of the artist’s studio holds a special place in Desmazières’s oeuvre. His body of work includes numerous representations of ateliers, graphic studios, painters’ studios, and other creative spaces. Among the best known are, for example, L’Atelier de Louis Icart, L’Atelier de Marc-Antoine, L’Atelier de Pascal, as well as repeatedly depicted print shops Atelier René Tazé. The composition of the presented work is particularly interesting due to its combination of artistic scene, human figures, interior architecture, and the presence of a cat, which lends the depiction a nearly narrative and theatrical character. ÉPREUVE D’ARTISTE – EA A particularly important element of the presented print is the marking: EA that is, épreuve d’artiste – an author’s / trial print intended for the artist. It is therefore not a simple exemplar of a standard numbered edition, marked for example 25/90 or 47/90. Érik Desmazières employed artistic prints and EA designations in his graphic practice. For the presented work, the EA designation is located directly beside the handwritten signature, which is a significant element of its collectible character. PLACE OF WORK IN THE ARTIST’S CREATIVE OUEUVRE Érik Desmazières is among the most recognizable French graphic artists of his generation. He was born in Rabat on November 21, 1948. In 1971 he graduated from the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris, after which he decided to devote himself to an artistic career. From 1971 to 1973 he studied drawing and graphic arts in evening courses at Ville de Paris under Jean Delpech. Since 1972, graphic art has been his primary medium of artistic expression. In 1978 he received the Grand Prix des Arts de la Ville de Paris, and in 2008 he was elected a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, in the graphics and drawing section. From 2006 to 2022 he served as president of Société des Peintres-Graveurs français. From 2020 to 2025 he was director of the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris. His works are in the collections of prestigious institutions such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Rijksmuseum, the National Gallery of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris, and other international museum collections. CATALOGUING AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PRINT Desmazières’s graphic work has been developed in a multi-volume catalogue raisonné, covering successive decades of his output. Catalogues for the periods 1972–1981, 1982–1991, 1991–2001 and 2001–2011 document hundreds of his prints. This is relevant for the presented work because its composition belongs to Desmazières’s characteristic area of interest—elaborate interiors, ateliers, artistic spaces, and architecture depicted with extraordinary perspectival precision. The artist is known for technical virtuosity and a highly precise graphic craft. His prints combine meticulous drawing with an atmosphere of mystery and an expansive, nearly labyrinthine space. MARKET SIGNIFICANCE AND AUCTION RECORDS Érik Desmazières’s position on the graphic market is also confirmed by the auction results of his works. The highest auction result for his graphic works is “La grande bataille” from 1978, which in 2026 fetched USD 10,311 at auction. This work belongs to an early, highly characteristic period of Desmazières’s art and is an example of a graphic with an expansive, monumental composition and a very high technical level. Other works by the artist have also achieved results in the thousands of euros and dollars at auction, and works such as La Bibliothèque de Babel, L’Atelier de Louis Icart, Le Magasin central des imprimés, and other elaborate compositions are among the most sought-after examples of his graphic output. The market value of Desmazières’s works is not only due to the artist’s name but also to the exceptional technical quality of his graphics, their elaborate iconography, degree of detail, and the fact that his work is represented in major museum collections and worked up in catalogue raisonné. The presented print, due to the EA designation, unusual layout of the descriptions, and the absence of a clear standard edition number while retaining the handwritten signature, requires separate catalogue identification. This aspect may be particularly important for further determining its place in the artist’s oeuvre. SIGNATURE AND MARKINGS The work bears a handwritten pencil signature and the designation EA. In the lower margin there is also the word: “atelier” written in lower case. This form is preserved in the description exactly as it appears on the presented print. I do not attribute this inscription to a specific title without confirmation in the catalogue raisonné. It should also be noted that in standard, numbered graphic works by Desmazières, the typical layout usually includes the print number, title, and the artist’s signature. For example, documentation of his works shows editions numbers, titles, and complete artist signatures with date. The presented print differs from this typical layout primarily due to the EA designation, so its exact catalog identification and the determination of the nature of this particular print remain particularly interesting for a specialist. PROVENANCE AND AUCTION CONTEXT The work was previously presented in a professional auction context at Campo & Campo in Antwerp, specializing among other things in graphic art, lithography, screen printing and etching. Its inclusion in a professional auction catalogue and its feature in promotional materials for the graphic auction constitute an additional element of documentation of its collection history. SUMMARY The offered work is an original graphic attributed to Érik Desmazières, depicting an extremely detailed interior of an artist’s studio. Points of particular note: - Érik Desmazières, born 1948 in Rabat - one of the leading French graphic artists of his generation - member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts - winner of the Grand Prix des Arts de la Ville de Paris - longtime president of Société des Peintres-Graveurs français - author of over two hundred graphics and numerous graphic cycles - represented in major museum collections in Europe and the United States - a multi-volume catalogue raisonné of his graphic work - a motif characteristic of the artist: atelier and interior of the studio - handwritten signature - EA designation – épreuve d’artiste - an exceptionally developed, detailed composition featuring the artist, a female figure, an easel, interior architecture, and a cat - auction results for his graphics exceeding USD 10,000 - previous professional auction context in Antwerp. The work deserves precise catalog identification due to its unusual EA designation and the artist’s signature subject matter. FOOTER UNDER THE PHOTO Érik Desmazières (born November 21, 1948, Rabat, Morocco) Studio scene / atelier Original intaglio print, épreuve d’artiste (EA) Signed in pencil, marked EA France, 20th century Motif: artist’s studio, artist at work, female figure, easel, architectural interior, cat Dimensions of the print: 30 × 30 cm Dimensions of the frame: 55 × 55 cm

Estimate:£1,004.62

View all items fromCatawikiorArts & Graphics