Le Corbeau (The Raven)

Medium: Etching and aquatint
Dimensions: 17 3/8 x 26 1/2 inches
Signature: Signed
Artist details: Italian, 1921 - 2009
Date finished: 1958
Edition: 152/220
Condition: G.G. blindstamp, lower left.

Recommended by Nikki (Fine Print Photographer & Content Publisher):
"Mario Avati’s piece Le Corbus (Raven) seems macabre, but there is a beauty found in sitting with death in this still life. By posing the bird like this, Avati has carefully highlighted the raven and all the interesting facets of its wings, face, body, and feet as the viewer’s eye moves from the top left of the mezzotint to the bottom right, across a clear diagonal. This image is a study of light, texture, and shape - referencing the rich history of Dutch still life paintings. The milky eye of the bird ‘looking’ directly at the viewer also serves as a memento mori, a reminder that death happens to everyone eventually."