‘La Guitare Arlequine’ is a masterclass in quiet virtuosity. In this richly atmospheric mezzotint, Mario Avati transforms the humble still life into something luminous and theatrical, drawing from a medium capable of conveying tonal transitions so subtle they seem to emerge from darkness itself.

Among the most celebrated printmakers of the twentieth century, Avati was instrumental in restoring mezzotint to prominence and expanding its expressive possibilities. Here, his extraordinary command of light, shadow, and colour is on full display. The guitar, an object long associated with performance, romance, and artistic expression, becomes both subject and metaphor, its form emerging with sculptural presence from velvety depths of tone.

Unlike many printmaking techniques that rely on line, mezzotint is built through gradations of light. The result is an image of remarkable richness and atmosphere, qualities for which Avati became internationally celebrated. Works such as La Guitare Arlequine reveal why his prints are held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, the Uffizi, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and more than one hundred other institutions worldwide.

For collectors, this work offers not only the beauty of a refined still life but also an opportunity to acquire an example of the medium's modern master at the height of his powers.

Mario AVATI
'La Guitare Arlequine' 1983
mezzotint on paper
Edition of 11
Image Size: 28 x 37 cm
Dimensions: 56 x 61 x 4 cm
Signed: signed, titled, dated and editioned in margin
Comes with Letter of Provenance
Condition: Very Good: Describes a work of art's image as Excellent, but may show some small signs of surrounding wear to paper or frame. There are no tears to paper margin or disruption to the paint surface.
(c) The Artist or Assignee