Saul Yurkievich (1931–2005) - Clown
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Clown is an original ink drawing by Saul Yurkievich, dated 1950, from France and measuring 23.5 × 16.5 cm.
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Description from the seller
Saul Yurkievich (1931–2005)
Clown – Expressionist Figure
Artist: Saul Yurkievich (1931–2005)
School: Argentine, 20th century
Medium: Black ink on paper
Dimensions: 23.5 × 16.5 cm
Period: 20th century
Stamp: “SAUL YURKIEVICH” in green, lower left
Description of the Work
A distinctive figurative drawing bearing the stamp of Saul Yurkievich (1931–2005), an Argentine poet, essayist, and literary critic, and a leading figure in 20th-century Latin American intellectual life.
Executed in black ink on paper, this composition depicts an enigmatic figure wearing a tall, conical hat, whose elongated silhouette and expressive features evoke the worlds of theater, the circus, and commedia dell’arte.
The particularly carefully rendered face features large, circular eyes, cheeks adorned with geometric patterns, and a mouth suggesting an ambiguous smile. The elongated neck and deliberate disproportion of the different parts of the body heighten the figure’s strange, poetic character.
The figure seems to belong to an imaginary world, somewhere between clown, harlequin, and fantastical character.
The artist favors a free, spontaneous graphic style, building the silhouette from fluid lines, sometimes repeated or intersecting. The contrast between the precision of the face and the lightness of the costume immediately draws the eye.
This work calls to mind certain Expressionist and Surrealist explorations of the 20th century, in which the distortion of the human figure becomes a means of poetic expression.
The spare linework and the importance of the untouched spaces heighten the figure’s presence, its expression wavering between melancholy, whimsy, and mystery.
About the Artist
Born in Argentina in 1931 and died in Paris in 2005, Saul Yurkievich was a poet, writer, essayist, and literary critic, recognized for his work on modern literature and the Latin American avant-garde.
A close associate of Julio Cortázar, he took an active part in intellectual exchanges between Latin America and Europe.
Significance of the Work
This drawing stands out for its original imagery, expressive character, and freedom of execution.
The combination of a meticulously detailed face and a deliberately sketchy silhouette gives the work a particularly distinctive presence.
An expressive, poetic work on paper, appealing to collectors of modernist figurative drawings, Surrealist worlds, and 20th-century graphic art.
Saul Yurkievich (1931–2005)
Clown – Expressionist Figure
Artist: Saul Yurkievich (1931–2005)
School: Argentine, 20th century
Medium: Black ink on paper
Dimensions: 23.5 × 16.5 cm
Period: 20th century
Stamp: “SAUL YURKIEVICH” in green, lower left
Description of the Work
A distinctive figurative drawing bearing the stamp of Saul Yurkievich (1931–2005), an Argentine poet, essayist, and literary critic, and a leading figure in 20th-century Latin American intellectual life.
Executed in black ink on paper, this composition depicts an enigmatic figure wearing a tall, conical hat, whose elongated silhouette and expressive features evoke the worlds of theater, the circus, and commedia dell’arte.
The particularly carefully rendered face features large, circular eyes, cheeks adorned with geometric patterns, and a mouth suggesting an ambiguous smile. The elongated neck and deliberate disproportion of the different parts of the body heighten the figure’s strange, poetic character.
The figure seems to belong to an imaginary world, somewhere between clown, harlequin, and fantastical character.
The artist favors a free, spontaneous graphic style, building the silhouette from fluid lines, sometimes repeated or intersecting. The contrast between the precision of the face and the lightness of the costume immediately draws the eye.
This work calls to mind certain Expressionist and Surrealist explorations of the 20th century, in which the distortion of the human figure becomes a means of poetic expression.
The spare linework and the importance of the untouched spaces heighten the figure’s presence, its expression wavering between melancholy, whimsy, and mystery.
About the Artist
Born in Argentina in 1931 and died in Paris in 2005, Saul Yurkievich was a poet, writer, essayist, and literary critic, recognized for his work on modern literature and the Latin American avant-garde.
A close associate of Julio Cortázar, he took an active part in intellectual exchanges between Latin America and Europe.
Significance of the Work
This drawing stands out for its original imagery, expressive character, and freedom of execution.
The combination of a meticulously detailed face and a deliberately sketchy silhouette gives the work a particularly distinctive presence.
An expressive, poetic work on paper, appealing to collectors of modernist figurative drawings, Surrealist worlds, and 20th-century graphic art.
Details
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Edition
Original
Artist
Saul Yurkievich (1931–2005)
Title of artwork
Clown
Technique
Ink
Signature
Signed
Country of origin
France
Year
1950
Condition
Excellent condition
Height
23.5 cm
Width
16.5 cm
Period
1950-1960
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