La Lettre by Krystyna Smiechowska

This is an etching and aquatint by the noted Polish-French printmaker Krystyna Smiechowska. It is titled La Lettre (The Letter). It is completely abstract and essentially monochrome with some orange and red highlights. There are patterns of lines and grids, some straight, some curved, some spare and isolated others compressed. Thick ink and embossing are used to create a surface to the etching. The artist was known to study manuscripts and old documents. Perhaps this is an abstraction of an illuminated manuscript page? The interpretation is up to the viewer. In any case, it's intricate and engaging with lots to explore. The piece is unframed. It is signed in pencil lower right. It appears to be an artist's proof, as it is initialed e. e. in pencil lower left. The sheet is untrimmed and is 22.5 x 30 inches. It is printed to the margin of the paper, a technique she may have learned from Johnny Friedlaender with whom she studied and worked. The condition is pristine. It is well struck and inked. There are no condition issues including no toning, foxing, staining, tears, paper loss, or other issues. It looks fresh from the press even though it probably dates from the 1970s. An excellent example of the artist's work.

Krystyna Smieckowska (1935-2014) Krystyna Smieckowska is a Polish-born artist who studied and worked in France. Her formal training was at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków and the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. A major influence in her print work is Johnny Friedlaender. She also worked closely with artist Jacques Villon. She is a printmaker who specializes in intaglio. She is a master of etching and aquatints. Her work is inspired by history, particularly old manuscripts and maps dating to the Middle Ages. Her work, while abstract, includes recognizable imagery along with inscriptions and runes.
She has exhibited internationally including Brussels, at the Régence gallery (a two woman show with Yannick Balif), and the Georgetown Graphics Gallery in Washington, DC. She participated in the 1973 Paris Biennale. Her work is held by the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and the Portland Museum of Art.