Macchia Basket Drawing Acrylic Painting Signed Contemporary Art 18k Appraisal

Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Gray Macchia Basket
Medium: Acrylic Painting
Size: 41'' x 29'' sheet ; 48" x 37" framed
Condition: Museum Quality
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity, original letter of donation from Dale Chihuly studios (pictured), appraisal

The intense gray and black background of this Macchia Basket painting allow the details particular to Dale Chihuly to be the focal point: the contrasting lip wrap, here in bright blue, and the spots characteristic of the Macchia series, here in vibrant orange. Although the painting is unsigned, it does come with the original letter of donation from Dale Chihuly Studios to the Senior Service Auction, a certified appraisal for $20,000 and a certificate of authenticity from Modern Artifact. The piece is float mounted in gallery framing, measuring 48"x37" framed. Please note that while this is an acrylic painting on arches painting, Dale Chihuly referred to works of this type as "drawings," as they were originally intended to allow the team of glassblowers to "draw" inspiration from and use as a blueprint during the creation of the glass art.

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. Glass works 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 degree 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 glass work on a broader scale, while still maintaining his recognizable style.