Ferdinand Springer
German, 1908 - 1998Clair Obscur (’Chiaroscuro’ or ‘Light and Shade’), 1959
Not on view
Engraving and aquatint on paper
Dimensions25 3/4 × 19 3/4 in.
Image: 12 5/8 × 11 3/4 in.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Keith Davis, 1965.22
Oppositions and contrasts are addressed by Ferdinand Springer’s Clair Obscur. The background of this print has a muted, smoky appearance, as that of haze, yet the lines are sharp and crisp by contrast. The term “clair-obscur” is French and translates into “light-dark,” an artistic technique referred to in Italian as “chiaroscuro,” in which there is great contrast between areas of high light and dark shadows. This effect was used frequently in early 17th century Italian painting. “Clair-obscur” can also refer to a printing technique in which the light areas of a print are created by carving into the printing plate, thus the dark portions become raised on the plate. Clair-Obscur can therefore be understood to reference both technique and the appearance of the composition. This juxtaposition of opposites with multiple interpretations is a common theme in Surrealist art.
