Étude de nu

Georges Braque

1907-1908

Original etching in black

49 x 33 cm

Annotated in pencil lower left "épreuve d'artiste", signed in pencil by the artist lower right

Georges Visat print, 1953 by; Maeght éditeur, Paris

Catalog raisonné : Vallier 1

The first of the artist's ten Cubist etchings, this original etching is undoubtedly one of the preparatory studies for Georges Braque's large 1908 painting Grand nu oil on canvas 140 x 100 cm, Paris MNAM.

Here, the woman is represented by rather geometric shapes, but still with fine features, in a reserved attitude, her head tilted slightly to the left. After an initial run of a few trial proofs at the time, 25 proofs on Auvergne and 30 proofs on Rives were printed in 1953.