Fritz William Scholder (American - Mission/Luiseno, 1937-2005). "Flower at Giverny #1"etching, 1982. Edition 4 of 120. Signed and numbered in pencil. A gorgeous etching of a single pink flower by Fritz William Scholder, who while best known for his "Indian" series of paintings that subverted the romanticized stereotypes of the noble savage also created floral works that demonstrated his connection to Pop Art and fine art in general like this example. Scholder, who was a student of Wayne Thiebaud and also sat for Andy Warhol, blended Pop Art with Abstract Expressionism, and first and foremost considered himself to be a colorist, emphasizing the formalist nature of his art. In this composition, Scholder's title references Claude Monet's legendary garden at Giverny. Size of plate mark: 21" L x 16" W (53.3 cm x 40.6 cm) Size of sheet: 30" L x 22" W (76.2 cm x 55.9 cm)

Fritz Scholder is best known for creating powerful depictions of Native Americans that depart from stereotypes. Interestingly, although Scholder was enrolled as a member of the Luiseno tribe, he oftentimes claimed that he was not actually Indian. Nevertheless, his art demonstrated a refreshing rejection of sentimental, romantic portrayals of indigenous peoples. In his words, "I have painted the Indian real, not red." He based his imagery on actual historical research. For example, Scholder revealed that his painting of a Native American wrapped in an American flag, an image that has become iconic, was based on "19th-century prison photographs of Indians dressed in surplus flags in lieu of their confiscated tribal regalia." In addition to the meaningful political messages of his art, Scholder's style, with its kinetic brushwork and vibrant colors, have truly set him apart. Various art historians have described Scholder's style as a fusion of Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism. Scholder, however, referred to himself an "American expressionist" who celebrated paint and what it can do. In his words, "Paint drips, it smears. It's not because I'm trying to fool anyone into thinking this is a three-dimensional object on a two-dimensional surface ..."

Provenance: ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010

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#173227

Signed and numbered in pencil. This etching is set within a white mat on foam core and has been shrink wrapped. It has not been examined outside the shrink wrap but appears to be in very good condition. Note that some stains/marks appear to be on the shrink wrap rather than the actual print.