Astres et Desastres
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View on museum website →Medium
color aquatint
Dimensions
plate: 39 x 48.4 cm (15 3/8 x 19 1/16 in.) sheet: 50 x 64.8 cm (19 11/16 x 25 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Jacob Kainen
Accession Number
2002.98.2
Art Historical Context
**Astres et Désastres** (1969) is a vibrant color aquatint by Belgian artist Pierre Alechinsky capturing the cosmic drama evoked by its title—"Stars and Dis." Printed from a plate measuring 39 x 48.4 cm on a larger sheet of 50 x 64.8 cm, this work exemplifies Alechinsky's mastery of intaglio techniques. Aquatint, which creates rich tonal gradations resembling ink washes, allows for the layered, luminous colors that define his prints, blending chance and control in a process involving multiple etched plates inked in different hues. Alechinsky, a founding member of the avant-garde CoBrA movemen...