Angus Mcbean 'Wise Old Owl' 1978
£2,900 per item
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Item details
Height
94.0 cm
Width
69.0 cm
Depth
6.5 cm
Wear conditions
Good
Wear conditions
Excellent
Shows little to no signs of wear and tear.
Good
May show slight traces of use in keeping with age. Most vintage and antique items fit into this condition.
Average
Likely to show signs of some light scratching and ageing but still remains in a fair condition.
Apparent Wear and Tear
Visible signs of previous use including scratches, chips or stains.
Please refer to condition report, images or make a seller enquiry for additional information.
Description
An extraordinary mixed media work by artist Angus McBean from the 1978 exhibition “The Owl & The Pussycat”. 94 x 69 x 6.5cm (37 x 26.7 x 2.5 inches).
The heavy and imposing frame gilded and heavily distressed, with vibrant green marbling running through the gold. The painstakingly crafted owl, completely covered with thousands of tiny white and gold glass beads, over a field of beautiful highly textured gold leaf. The whole complex, layered construction held together in clear resin. Signed and titled on a label to the back. The piece is mentioned in the artist's introduction to the exhibition as having taken 7 months to create and was listed at £820 (approx £6500 today).
Starting his career as a set and prop designer for the West End Theatre, McBean became one of the most significant photographers of the 20th century, creating unique, highly memorable portraits of Vivien Leigh, Audrey Hepburn and many other stars of stage and screen. His surrealist photography was so innovative, sophisticated and successful it’s difficult to appreciate how it was created decades before Photoshop. His experiments with mixed media, born from a frustration at not having mastered the art of painting, are much less well known. Including this one, we can only find 3 examples that have made it to the market in recent years.
Condition:There are 2 cracks to the resin. One at bottom left, the other runs across the top of the piece just above the owl's head. These will be from original casting imperfections, hairline cracks that have come under pressure with the expansion and contraction of the wood over the years. Some light yellowing to the resin in parts. In general it is in good solid condition and displays superbly.
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Estimated delivery time
Less than one week
Free collection available
No
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- Selling at Vinterior since 2019
- 14 sales
- Ships from Sheffield, United Kingdom
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Item price: £2,900