El Olivo, handcolored, framed
El Olivo is as much a technical achievement as an artistic one. Smith-Harrison spent two years creating the large and intensely detailed 5 copper plates for this print.
The olive tree floating above the town has a spiritual presence. The compositional idea came to Smith-Harrison from a much simpler Dürer print that has an angel standing on a ball, with a small village below. Smith-Harrison’s natural inclination was to turn the angel into a tree.
The model for the olive tree came from a friend’s country retreat in northern Spain. This region, about an hour south of Barcelona, has been planted to olive groves since the 17th Century.
Look closely at the town-- it is a stereo optic view of Granada, Spain, as seen from Al Hambra. Buildings on the left are drawn again on the right. The monastery in the foreground is from Tolédo – the empty courtyard seen through the artist’s eyes is an empty canvas awaiting a garden.
This print was licensed by a human rights commission as their symbol. To them, it represents an all-encompassing idea of ‘life sheltering human kind.”
* This print is a unique, hand colored Artist Proof.*
Year: 1996, hand-coloring added 2008
Image Size: 27" x 27" (dimensions listed below are framed size)
Dimensions:
42.5" h x 38" w
Price:
$7,500.00
Availability: In Stock
Code:
HAR085
