Description
NORDIC CHALLENGE by Mikulas Kravjansky
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$800.00
NORDIC CHALLENGE by Mikulas Kravjansky is an intaglio print on hand made paper. The size is 30” X 22” and the edition is 150. Published in 1998.
This is a piece from the suite of three (3) pieces on World Cup Nordic Skiing. The suite of three (3) is listed separately as a suite and individually as single pieces. Titles and description are shown below.
“NORDIC CHALLENGE” – Dynamically translates the power and speed of these athletes who are considered the finest in the world.
“AMERICAN BIRKEBEINER” – World Cup Marathon Cross Country Ski Race, held on a 52 km course in Wisconsin every year, is like the Olympics in one sport.
“SETTING THE PACE” – World Cup marathon cross country ski racing against the beautiful setting of European mountains and Tyrollean villages.
A magnificent set of extraordinary quality prints on hand made paper by internationally famous artist Mikulas Kravjansky. (formerly a Czechoslovakian ski jumper himself)
The image and sheet size of each is 30″ X 22″. The edition size was to have been 150, plus 5 HC Roman Numbered and a few Artist’s Proofs. However, only 60 sets of the numbered edition were printed; plus only 5 sets of H.C. and 5 Artist’s Proofs for a total of 70 sets. The artist subsequently retired and canceled the plates.
The beautiful high quality prints of Mikulas Kravjansky are created by the old master technique of Intaglio on hand made paper with heavy embossing and collage. Each piece is pencil signed and numbered by the artist. Each piece is entirely hand made and thus each piece within the edition is unique.
The retail price of the three pieces is $2,400.00 or $800.00 purchased individually (or best offer), which was intentionally kept low for this artist’s work, so that as many Nordic ski enthusiasts as possible could afford them. Normally, prints this size, by Kravjansky, have an opening retail list price of $1,200.00 each.
ABOUT THE ARTIST – (click on any picture to enlarge it)
Mikulas Kravjansky excels in the artistic printing technique known as intaglio. This includes etching, engraving, dry point, aquatint, mezzotint, linocut, wood block and collograph.
In this complex process the image is created by the artist on a plate of copper, aluminum, plastic or other material by adding to, or subtracting from, the surface of the plate. All ink colors are applied to the plate and a sheet of wet hand made paper placed on it. This is covered with felt and run through steel rollers of an etching press. As water is squeezed from the paper, suction draws the ink into the paper.
This hand procedure is repeated for each piece of the edition. After drying for a week, Kravjansky may add hand painting or laminate metallic inlays to the work. His editions are small as these plates will only print a limited quantity before wearing out, after which he destroys the plates.
