Cyril Edward Power (1872-1951)
The Merry-Go-Round (Coppel CEP.16)
Linocut printed in a mixture of Chinese orange and chrome orange and Chinese blue, circa 1930, on buff oriental laid tissue, a very good, richly inked impression, signed and numbered 13/50 in pencil, with wide margins, a tiny paper split at the lower edge of the image, soft creasing at the corners, otherwise in good condition, framed

Block 305 x 304mm. (12 x 12in.); Sheet 398 x 382mm. (15 5/8 x 15 1/8in.)
Footnotes:
Provenance
Gifted by the artist to his nephew Thomas Champness (1901-1997).
Thence by descent to the current owner.

Amusement parks were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and were a great source of inspiration for the Grosvenor School artists, who sought to express the speed and innovation of the modern age via the imagery of racing cars, amusement rides and new machines. The linocut was well suited to expressing ideas of speed and movement. Its soft malleable surface was easy to carve and the fluid lines, repeating rhythmic patterns and simple bold colour combinations were employed to convey this dynamism.

The inspiration for this particular image was taken from the Merry-Go-Round at the Wembley Exhibition Fun Fair in London, close to the artist's home in Brook Green. It is a dazzling display of technical skill and compositional flair. Power's intricate design uses a series of sweeping and tapering curved lines for the apparatus of the Merry-Go-Round and zig-zag shapes for the figures which gradually become more abstract, giving a sense of gathering momentum. The central column is set at an angle, adding to the illusion of propulsion and the vibrant orange and blue enhance the overall dynamic effect. The Merry-Go-Round is transformed into a whirlwind of energy, perfectly capturing the thrill of the ride, both for the riders and the spectators.

We have found only four other impressions of this linocut appearing at auction in the last twenty-six years.

In addition to, or in elaboration of the catalogue entry :

- a pinhole in the blue at the top of the stand upper centre; 3 pinholes in the blue at the top of the stairs lower right, all visible under raking light

- a 3mm paper split in the blue area at the lower edge of the image, with no paper loss

- some creasing in the left and right margins which extends partially into the image

- taped to the mount with a small piece of sellotape at each corner verso

Otherwise in good condition. The colours fresh and vibrant.