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Artist Unknown — A sacra fame auri
Artist Unknown — A sacra fame auri
Artist Unknown — A sacra fame auri
Artist Unknown

A sacra fame auri

1970

This etching presents a vertical composition dominated by a large blank central void, framed by densely hatched borders teeming with figural scenes. Around the periphery, countless small figures engage in varied activities, rendered in fine lines that create rich tonal gradations characteristic of the etching medium. The work employs the classical tradition of marginal narratives and crowded compositions, yet the expansive empty center creates a paradoxical tension between abundance and absence. The pale cream paper and warm brown ink tones enhance the print's antique quality, while the meticulous crosshatching demonstrates technical mastery typical of printmaking practices rooted in Renaissance and Baroque precedents.

Medium
etching
Overall

Notes

A Ménage with George Platt Lynes, Rago Auctions, 2026-05-01. Lot 259. Signed, titled, dated and numbered to lower edge ‘8/50 A sacra fame auri Grader- Peters, Weihnachten 1970’.

🔨 Auction Lot

A Ménage with George Platt Lynes

May 1, 2026

Estimate: $300$500

Lot 259

For Sale

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About this work

Artist Unknown, A sacra fame auri, 1970

This etching presents a vertical composition dominated by a large blank central void, framed by densely hatched borders teeming with figural scenes. Around the periphery, countless small figures engage in varied activities, rendered in fine lines that create rich tonal gradations characteristic of the etching medium. The work employs the classical tradition of marginal narratives and crowded compositions, yet the expansive empty center creates a paradoxical tension between abundance and absence. The pale cream paper and warm brown ink tones enhance the print's antique quality, while the meticulous crosshatching demonstrates technical mastery typical of printmaking practices rooted in Renaissance and Baroque precedents.

Medium
etching
Dimensions
overall: 34 x 18.4 cm
Year
1970
Seen at
Rago Auctions, Lambertville, United States

Related themes

Human Activity, Void And Abundance, Marginal Figures, Renaissance Influence, Allegorical Subject, Etching, Master Print, Classical Tradition, Line Drawing, Tonal Gradation, Intaglio Process, Figurative Art, 1970s Art, Print Medium, Vertical Format, Ink On Paper, Narrative Composition, Baroque Print, Crowded Composition, Hatching Technique

More works by Artist Unknown

Collected by

Jonathan Murray, Art Institute of Chicago