Josef Herman Catullus, The Bird

Lithograph on paper
Edition of 85
Signed by the artist
Paper size: 21cm x 30.5cm
Framed size: 43 x 53 cm

Josef Herman Catullus, The Bird. The Lithographs he was commissioned to produce for the Golden Cockerel edition of the Poems of Catullus in 1981 have all the vitality and universality of his strongest work. They explore further some of his abiding themes: here is the tree of life; an exuberant dancing girl; two lovers embrace; three figures meet on their street and become animated; in his studio an artist and his model are juxtaposed with a wit that reminds one of Picasso; a solitary woman sits deep in thought; two moon lit birds are rendered with the deft economy of the mature Matisse. The proposed fine art limited edition book was not to appear; that loss is some twenty years later our gain, for these lithographs, the complete edition of 99, have recently been located, carefully stored in their original boxes, each print signed by the artist. I am excited and intrigued by their discovery.
Professor Tony Curtis
Editor of the new Edition of Related Twilights