Monday, July 6, 2009

Blue Urns

The second piece of original Edward Gorey artwork in my collection which was included in the 1974 Graham Gallery Exhibition is titled Blue Urns. As with Two children on a rock (see my posting from July 3, 2009), I believe this piece has not been seen publicly in 35 years.

This incredible piece of art is a masterpiece of Mr. Gorey's imagination and skill. The dragons are particularly wonderful, especially the ones who have slipped off the urns and are slinking around the room. In addition to the pitch-perfect watercolor tones, layers of complex pattern fill the entire piece. The line work is executed in two colors of ink. The detailing on the urns is rendered in blue ink, which provides a subtle contrast to the blacks used elsewhere in the piece.

In one of my classes in college, the professor asked the students to name the one object (not a person or pet) they would save if their home was on fire. I have to admit that this just might be the one thing I would be clutching if this ever happened.
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8 comments:

  1. jpcsJuly 7, 2009 at 6:04 AM

    This has to be one of the most beautiful pieces of original Edward Gorey art that I have ever seen!

    I have a copy of the invite to the Graham exhibition but I had no idea the work shown at it was so wonderful. Given what you have shown, I absolutely agree with your earlier comment - it would be great to see more works of art from this exhibition!

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  2. ampootozoteJuly 7, 2009 at 7:13 AM

    I have been amazed that there is so little information about the Graham shows. The works are some of the best pieces Mr. Gorey created, and there is virtually nothing known about them. I hope some other collectors come forward to share images from this milestone show. The pieces have to be SOMEWHERE!

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  3. BloglionJuly 7, 2009 at 5:03 PM

    I agree. This is an absolutely gorgeous piece. Others might turn up, but I'm not sure they can eclipse this one.

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  4. jpcsJuly 10, 2009 at 3:34 AM

    One other question - how large is the drawing?

    Many thanks for this (and for the blog!).

    Philip

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  5. ampootozoteJuly 10, 2009 at 6:15 AM

    The image area is 4.25" tall by 6" wide...the paper is larger.

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  6. Glen David GoldDecember 1, 2010 at 7:15 PM

    I agree with jpcs -- might be the most beautiful piece of Gorey art I've seen. I have a piece with a single, worried child and some vast pottery, but it doesn't compare. Very very nice, and thank you for sharing.

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  7. ampootozoteDecember 3, 2010 at 7:58 PM

    Thanks for the comment...I would love to hear what else you know about art from this exhibition (or more Gorey stuff in general)...Feel free to email me at ampootozote@aol.com !!

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  8. Rebecca NoranJanuary 16, 2011 at 3:16 PM

    This is fantastic -- thank you for sharing!

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