Dale Chihuly Drawing Venetian Acrylic Original Signed Painting from book

Dale Chihuly - Venetian Acrylic
Acrylic Drawing on Paper
Painted on a two page interior of Chihuly's ''Venetians: Dale Chihuly'' book from 1989
Signed and titled across the top
Dimensions: 14" x 20"
Inscription: Signed by the artist
Condition: Very good condition overall, please request a full report for condition details
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity

Initiated as a collaborative effort between the creative mind of Dale Chihuly and the mastery of Italian maestro glassblower Lino Tagliapietra, “The Venetians” marked an important turn in Chihuly’s career from the predominantly organic shapes inspired by nature toward a more artistically directed vision. The series started in 1988 and the designs carried all of the inherent qualities of Chihuly’s glass such as spontaneity and breath. Still, unlike his early works, they were generally composed out of several different pieces of separately blown molten glass to add to the opulence of form and color.

The series was directly inspired by Venetian glass art from the Art Deco period. “I started the series with the simple idea of replicating these strange Art Deco vases, but I hoped that it would go somewhere else, somewhere bizarre,” Chihuly said, explaining the thinking behind the flashy ribbons, handles and ornaments.

At the very beginning, Chihuly and Lino established a working process: Chihuly would make a drawing and hang it up next to the furnace. Lino would then make the piece following the design.

Drawing is, hence, seminal to the creation of the “Venetians”, more so than to any other Chihuly’s series. The original drawings were usually watercolors and graphite sketches of classical forms with several handles. Later he used charcoal resulting in bolder and more extreme glasswork featuring asymmetry and elaborate details. Finally, the pre-creation drawing merged with the inspirational drawing in acrylic Chihuly is known for, allowing “Venetians” to take a prominent place in his practice today.

The “Venetian Acrylic” drawing created on the two interior pages of the first comprehensive book about the series is a unique piece. It encapsulates the essence of the series alluding to the original creative process. The piece’s colors are pastel, chosen to complement the background, while the image describes a classical form with intricate details protruding from its top onto another page.

“Venetian Acrylic” possesses the free stroke and spirit of Chihuly, while elegantly nodding to one of the most composed series in the artist’s oeuvre. An exquisite piece for every Chihuly collection.

The piece comes in professional, safe packaging and includes a certificate of Authenticity included.

About Dale Chihuly

One of the most famous contemporary glass artists in the world, Dale Chihuly is best known for his monumental sculptures and installations. He is the name behind the spectacular ceiling at the Bellagio’s flower garden in Las Vegas and the creator of the Rotunda Chandelier at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Glassworks of Dale Chihuly are considered some of the most desired collectibles between the decorative arts devotees today. Despite his initial indifference towards education, Chihuly has spent a lot of time in school, obtaining both scientific and artistic degrees in sculpture from prestigious graduate schools. He displayed a proclivity for interior design and craft early on, but his true passion was always in the glass. He was a Fulbright Fellow in the late 1960s and an apprentice at the Venini Glass Factory in Venice. Mastering the art of Murano glasswork, he continued the experiments with glassblowing and thus became one of the people who brought the ancient art of glassblowing back into the spotlight on an international scale.

Monumental and small-scale artwork of Dale Chihuly is present in over 200 most renowned decorative art collections today, while the artist holds twelve honorary doctorates!

The most illustrious series in his work are Cylinders and Baskets he created in the 1970s; Macchia, Venetians and Persians from the 1980s, Niijima Floats and Chandeliers created in the 1990s; and a more recent one, Fiori from the 2000s.

For over 30 years, Dale Chihuly has been acting as an artistic director of his team of craftsmen, since he was incapacitated in two accidents, which left him blind in one eye and incapable of holding the blowing tube. This change allowed him to see the possibilities of glasswork on a much broader scale, while still maintaining his recognizable style.