Description
JimFlora.com has released a limited-edition, archival-quality fine art print of a late-1940s Jim Flora painting entitled Self-Portrait. The work evolved from an early 1940s sketch entitled “Boss Crump” (see below left). By the time it was rendered in tempera, Flora refashioned and retitled the figure as a self-portrait.
The original Self-Portrait was hand-titled by the artist on the reverse, but was undated. Flora archivists Barbara Economon and Irwin Chusid have analyzed the technique and determined that it reflects Flora’s mid- to late-1940s style of caricature.
Self-Portrait were produced for this edition. Each print is titled in the lower left hand corner beneath the image and numbered in the lower right. It is authenticated on the reverse with the stamped seal of Jim Flora Art LLC (a Flora family enterprise). Prices for prints will increase as the edition depletes.
Produced by Flora printmaker Barbara Economon, the prints were meticulously replicated using state-of-the-art digital technology. A high-resolution scan was made of the original art, a tempera painting on paper. All aspects of the existing work have been retained, including minor aging artifacts which in no way detract from the overall impression. In addition, because the original work was unsigned, a Flora painted signature from the period has been added below the active art to officially “brand” the work.
The image area is 19-1/2″ high x 12-1/2″ wide — slightly larger than the original work — and centered on a sheet 22″ high x 17″ wide. The unframed prints are on heavyweight (310g) mould-made William Turner stock, a natural white, 100% rag paper with a fine toothy surface manufactured by Hahnemühle, who are renowned for premium-grade archival papers. The edition was produced using Epson UltraChrome K3 Pigment Ink Technology, resulting in brilliant, velvety color and offering excellent longevity and durability.
The print will ship flat, securely packaged and guaranteed against bending or dents. Print includes a detailed, custom-printed one-sheet with instructions for the proper care of this fine art reproduction.
Self-Portrait has not previously been reproduced or published in color or as an enlarged image. A black and white spot illustration of the work appeared in a 1955 issue of American Artist magazine accompanying a Flora profile; the black and white image was reproduced in the book The Mischievous Art of Jim Flora (page 88). Due to the fine art print’s higher-resolution process, as well as superior paper, inks, and quality control, the colors in the print appear more vibrant than the online image. Online color appearance may vary slightly depending on your monitor settings.
