Obata: Before Singing--Madame Talia Savanieva (Sold)

Artist: Chiura Obata (1885-1975)
Title: Before Singing: Madame Talia Savanieva
Date: 1930

Regal portrait in profile of Madame Talia Savanieva, an opera diva who sang in San Francisco in the late 1920s. In 1924 Obata designed the scenery and costumes of Madame Butterfly for the San Francisco Opera. The details of her skin and hair are so fine that this work appears to be painted on silk, although it is actually printed on paper. Her earring features gold printing. From the World Landscape series, the groundbreaking effort that Obata spent all his savings on creating with the highest possible standards. The project employed more than 32 carvers and 40 printers for eighteen months. According to the Takamizawa pamphlet on this series, this work required 110 separate print impressions.

Condition: Excellent impression, color and condition.
Dimensions: 45.3 x 33.2 cm
Publisher: Takamizawa
Signature: Unsigned, as is common
Literature: See “Chiura Obata: American Modern”, page 8, page 47. It is impossible to tell from the plate if this is the print or the painting that it is based on. 

SKU: OBA017S