Antoni Clavé (1913-2005) - Christmas card

EXCEPTIONAL “BON À TIRER” ARCHIVAL LITHOGRAPHY BY ANTONI CLAVÉ — 1958
Antoni Clavé & Maria Sanmartí
An artistic and family testimony of great rarity

Antoni Clavé (1913–2005) & Maria Sanmartí (1886–1959)
Original lithograph – Reference proof / “Bon à Tirer”
1958
Dimensions: 28 × 38 cm

A RARE WORK, RICH IN EMOTION AND MEANING

We present here a particularly singular piece from Antoni Clavé’s oeuvre, gathering, in a single composition, his artistic universe and that of his mother, Maria Sanmartí.

Created in 1958, this work stands out for its double dimension, both artistic, familial and intimate. It constitutes a true witness to the relationship between two artists belonging to two generations and who, each in their own way, developed a deeply personal visual language.

The exceptional interest of this edition lies notably in its character as a “Bon à Tirer,” that is, a reference state produced at the moment of preparing the lithographic print. The presence of registration marks in the margins reinforces its documentary character and directly testifies to the creation and printing process.

ON THE LEFT — THE UNIVERSE OF ANTONI CLAVÉ

The left side of the composition is immediately recognizable by its powerful, expressionist visual language. THE TWO KINGS

Here you find the research that characterizes Clavé’s work in the 1950s: stylized figures, characters evoking medieval kings and warriors, faces built from geometric shapes, strong contrasts and a particularly dense graphic texture.

The dark tones, combined with shades of blue, red and black, give this part of the work a strong, almost monumental presence despite the relatively intimate size of the proof.

This aesthetic deliberately contrasts with the section devoted to Maria Sanmartí.

ON THE RIGHT — MARIA SANMARTÍ, FREEDOM AND FRESHNESS

The right side reveals Maria Sanmartí’s much freer, more colorful and spontaneous universe.

The figure of the juggler, depicted in a bright and expressive palette, embodies this creative freedom and freshness that characterize her work.

Maria Sanmartí began painting truly later in life, encouraged notably by her son Antoni Clavé. Her unconventional artistic path lends this work a particularly touching dimension: creation becomes a true dialogue between a mother and her son.

The contrast between Clavé’s expressionist and somber language and Sanmartí’s almost childlike freshness creates a visually original dialogue.

“BEST WISHES FOR 1958” — A PERSONAL MESSAGE TO HIS MOTHER

One of the most moving elements of this piece remains its handwritten inscription:

“Best Wishes for 1958 — Maria Sanmartí, Antoni Clavé”

Beyond its artistic dimension, this inscription gives the work a genuine personal dimension.

This is not merely an image to celebrate a new year: it appears as a affectionate tribute from Antoni Clavé to his mother Maria Sanmartí, an artist herself, with whom he shared a deep closeness.

The year 1958 also gives this piece a particular historical value. Maria Sanmartí would pass away the following year, in 1959. Thus this work retrospectively takes on a particularly moving dimension in the history of their artistic and family relationship.

A WORK OF DOCUMENTATION OF GREAT RARITY

The presence of registration crosses and lithographer’s cutting marks in the margins shows that we are dealing with a proof directly related to the production process.

The BAT (“Bon à Tirer”) is an essential step in lithographic production: it allows validation of the image, colors, the different graphic elements and their positioning before the final print.

As such, this edition holds an interest that goes beyond a simple print: it is a working and creative document, allowing access to the heart of the artistic and editorial process of the time.

CHARACTERISTICS
Artists: Antoni Clavé & Maria Sanmartí
Year: 1958
Technique: original lithograph
Nature: reference proof / “Bon à Tirer” (B.A.T.)
Dimensions: 28 × 38 cm
Signature / mark: presence of handwritten initials “CL” in pencil, according to the provided indications
Inscription: “Best Wishes for 1958 — Maria Sanmartí, Antoni Clavé”

Special feature: presence of registration crosses and cutting marks in the margins

Subject: composition uniting the worlds of Antoni Clavé and Maria Sanmartí
Era: Spanish avant-garde and modern art, mid-20th century

INTEREST FOR COLLECTORS

This piece is particularly addressed to collectors of Antoni Clavé, of Maria Sanmartí, of original lithographs from the 20th century and, more broadly, to enthusiasts of historical documents related to Spanish modern art.

Its interest rests on the meeting of several elements rarely combined in a single edition:

Antoni Clavé + Maria Sanmartí + 1958 + joint lithographic work + personal message + BAT proof

The familial dimension of the composition, the birthday message addressed to Maria Sanmartí and the documentary nature of the proof make it a particularly singular piece.

A rare and deeply personal work, where modern art becomes the language of a family bond.

In 1958, Antoni Clavé links his expressionist universe to that of his mother, Maria Sanmartí, in a composition that takes the form of a birthday greeting.

Through the opposing figures of the king and the juggler, of shadow and color, of matter and spontaneity, this lithograph tells as much an artistic story as a family story.

A particularly touching testimony of the complicity between Antoni Clavé and Maria Sanmartí, created on the eve of her disappearance in 1959.

Unpublished on the market
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