Salvador Dalí - L'Illusioniste (1968)

Original Salvador Dali etching "L'Illusioniste" from Suite The Magicians, hand-signed by Dali in pencil and hand-colored with watercolor.

La Fontaine's Fables are a collection of moral stories written by the French poet Jean de La Fontaine in the 17th century. He used anthropomorphized animals to convey life and ethics lessons through short, allegorical stories, with a witty style and poetic language that made them classics of literature.

• Drypoint etching with hand coloring in watercolor
• Hand-signed by Dalí in pencil  
• Dry stamp of the artist's signature
• Limited edition of 100 copies on Japon chiné paper, annotated E.A., with wide margins
• Size: 5,7 x 4.5 in (14,5 x 11,5 cm), sheet 15 x 11 in (37,8 x 28,6 cm)
• Published by Graphik Europa Anstalt
• Printed by Atelier Robbe
• Reference: Michler & Löpsinger n° 298, The Official Catalog of The Graphic Works of Salvador Dali by Albert Field page 40 #68-6
• In good condition
• Unframed
  
  
  AP (artist’s proof)  
  
  
  Also sometimes called by its French name, epreuve d’artiste, or EA, this is effectively a test print for the artist to check the plate from which the final image is printed.
  
  
  Ironically, in the early days of printmaking, these were often the best quality versions, as there was no wear and tear on the plates at this early stage. Usually the first 20 or so of a print run, numbered separately to the main limited edition run, they were often kept by the artist or sold later.
  Technology has, of course, moved on, and now an entire run of litho or giclée prints will all be of the same high quality. Many artists, though, still enjoy the tradition of having a special artist’s proof edition, and the value of them lies not in their quality, but in owning a rare print. This rarity makes them much sought-after by collectors.
  
  
  A run of 20 artist’s proofs would be numbered 1/20 AP to 20/20 AP (or very similar) and will cost rather more than a limited edition – perhaps an additional 20% to 50%.