Sugar-lift aquatint, 1960. 300x345 mm; 11 3/4x13 5/8 inches, full margins. Artist's proof, aside from the edition of 50. Signed and inscribed "artist proof" in pencil, lower margin. Published by the Morris Gallery, New York. From 21 Etchings and Poems. A superb impression of this extremely scarce, early print.
De Kooning's (1904-1997) first print and the only etching or aquatint that he created. Other artists who contributed prints to the portfolio include Franz Kline, Jacques Lipchitz and Stanley W. Hayter.
"Probably the first American collaboration of such magnitude between artist and author," according to The Artist and the Book, "this publication was conceived in 1951 by Peter Grippe when he took over the directorship of Atelier 17 from Hayter. After Atelier 17 was disbanded in 1955, Grippe continued to work with the artists in his own studio, and Morris Weisenthal took over publication under the imprint of his Morris Gallery." The Artist and the Book, no. 145. Graham 1.
