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Mack Sees Polly Peachum

Jack Levine

Unframed size: Not available

$600.00

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Etching, Figurative, Intaglio Print, Levine, Literature and Books, Portraits and People, Post-War Twentieth Century, Prints & Multiples, Social Commentary and History, Unframed, Whimsy and Humor

About the work

This print is part of the Dreigroschen Portfolio.

Berthold Brecht’s 1930 film Dreigroschen [The Threepenny Opera] introduced the world to the great musical standards “The Ballad of Mack the Knife” and “Pirate Jenny”, among others. More than that, it was a biting socialist critique of the capitalist world, and in that regard it resonated with Jack Levine, one of the great social critic artists in the mold of Philip Evergood, Leonard Baskin, and George Gropper. Levine was inspired by Dreigroschen—and his memories of truancies from school, occasions in which he would tour the erotic temptations of Boston—to make a suite of pictures, of which this etching is the 13th plate.

This print is a soft ground etching, made by using a softer and stickier waxy ground than is normally used in etching. Depending on the smoothness of the paper used to make the etching plate, the lines of the print can resemble pencil, chalk, or pastel, and generally are soft and somewhat irregular. Levine used the technique to great effect in this print, yielding a rough and broken line perfectly matched to the seamy characters portrayed in this series of etchings.

Levine turned to print-making relatively late his career—in 1960 at age 45—but he immediately vaulted into the first ranks of printmakers. He continued to make art, as he had done throughout his career, which portrayed and challenged modern life.

This work is accompanied by the vellum sheet which covered it in the portfolio, which includes some small notations about the printing of the main edition. (If you choose to have this work framed, the vellum sheet will be placed in an envelope affixed to the rear of the work.)

This work is unframed but professional framing is available at discounted cost with little delay. Please select from the framing options or contact us if you wish to discuss the framing of the work. We frame exclusively with conservation-grade materials and put the work behind 99% UV-filtering art glass or Plexiglass.

Attributes	Value
Medium	Etching, Print
Condition	Excellent Condition
Signing, Dating, and Titling	Hand signed by the Artist
Framing	Unframed
First, Please Choose Your Framing Option:	No Frame, Black-Stained Ash (Medium), Clear Natural Ash (Medium), Clear Natural Maple (Medium), Waxed Cherry (Medium), Waxed Mahogany (Medium), Waxed Walnut (Medium)
Date	1960-1970

Medium:

Softground Etching

Paper:

Handmade BFK Rives Paper

Series:

The “Dreigroschen Film” Portfolio

Publisher:

Touchstone Publishers Ltd.

Printer:

Printed by Emilio Sorini, one of the most celebrated printers of the Twentieth Century. Sorini worked for many years at the Hollander Graphic Workshop and later at Bank Street Atelier. This work was printed at Sorini’s own workshop, which appears from scant records to have existed only very briefly.

Date:

1967

Signature:

Hand-signed by artist, in pencil, en recto lower right. “Artist’s Proof” written, in pencil, en recto lower left.

Edition:

This is one of the ten artist’s proofs which were printed, preceding the edition of 100 and the deluxe edition of 45. The plates were destroyed after the completion of the edition.

Framing:

Condition:

Excellent condition, unsoiled and without handling marks, beautifully printed with full margins, deckle-edged as printed.

Sheet Size:

14 inches (h) × 18 inches (w)

Plate Size:

About 8.75 inches (h) x 11.75 inches (w)

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Washington Color Gallery

Established in 2017, Washington Color Gallery
presents exceptional works by Washington artists
and renowned printmakers worldwide.

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