This exquisite lithograph by Leonor Fini (1907–1996), titled Sans titre (Untitled), from the folio Parallelement (Parallel), Paul Verlaine, illustre de lithographies originales de Leonor Fini, originates from the 1969 edition published by Pierre de Tartas, Paris; printed by Rene Guillard, June 1969. Sans titre reflects Fini’s visionary and psychologically charged visual language, combining dreamlike symbolism with refined graphic clarity that echoes mythic and theatrical themes.
Executed as a lithograph on Japon nacre moire paper, this work measures 15.94 x 23.22 inches (40.49 x 58.98 cm), with centerfold as issued. Hand signed and unnumbered as issued.
Artwork Details:
Artist: Leonor Fini (1907–1996)
Title: Sans titre (Untitled), from Parallelement (Parallel)
Medium: Lithograph on Japon nacre moire paper
Dimensions: 15.94 x 23.22 inches (40.49 x 58.98 cm), with centerfold as issued
Inscription: Hand signed and unnumbered as issued
Date: 1969
Publisher: Pierre de Tartas, Paris
Printer: Rene Guillard, Paris
Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium
Provenance: From the folio Parallelement (Parallel), Paul Verlaine, illustre de lithographies originales de Leonor Fini, 1969
Notes:
Excerpted from the folio (translated from French), This Parallelement by Paul Verlaine illustrated by Leonor Fini was completed printing in June 1969 on the presses of Pierre Jean Mathan for the typography and on the presses of Rene Guillard for the lithographs. It was produced at the expense of Pierre de Tartas, residing at the Centre Artistique et Culturel du Moulin de Vauboyen in Bievres in Essonne. Justification of the printing: One unique example on Japon nacre containing two original watercolors specially executed for the work, two bons a tirer, a suite of all the plates on grand velin d'Arches, a suite of all the plates on Japon nacre signed by the artist, as well as a suite of the rejected plates on grand velin d'Arches. Designated unique example. XX examples on Japon nacre containing an original watercolor by the artist executed for the work, a suite of all the plates on grand velin d'Arches, a suite of all the plates on Japon nacre signed by the artist, as well as a suite of the rejected plates on grand velin d'Arches, lettered from A to T. XXX examples on Japon nacre containing a suite of all the plates on grand velin d'Arches, as well as a suite of the rejected plates on grand velin d'Arches, numbered from I to XXX. LX examples on grand velin d'Arches containing a suite of the six double plates on grand velin d'Arches, as well as a suite of the rejected plates on grand velin d'Arches, numbered from XXXI to XC. CC examples on grand velin d'Arches containing the definitive state of the illustrations, numbered from XCI to CCXC. In addition, a few examples were printed, all nominative, reserved for the artist, the publisher, and those who contributed to the realization of this work. All examples are signed by the artist, the publisher, and validated by the Ministere d'Huissier de Justice; on Japon nacre moire, suites of the plates were printed, numbered and signed by the artist.
About the Publication:
Parallelement (Parallel), Paul Verlaine, illustre de lithographies originales de Leonor Fini, published in Paris in 1969 by Pierre de Tartas and printed by Rene Guillard, represents one of the most ambitious late twentieth century French illustrated art editions. Produced as a luxurious livre d'artiste, the publication united Verlaine’s celebrated poetic cycle with a series of original lithographs created by Leonor Fini specifically for the project. Pierre de Tartas, known for producing refined bibliophile editions during the mid twentieth century, collaborated with master printers, typographers, and artisans to create a publication that reflected the enduring French tradition of artist illustrated literature. The work was printed on fine papers including Japon nacre and grand velin d'Arches, with elaborate suites, original drawings, and watercolor additions reserved for the most prestigious examples of the edition. Through its combination of poetry, original lithography, and meticulous craftsmanship, Parallelement stands as an important example of the modern livre d'artiste tradition that flourished in postwar France, bringing together literature and visual art in a unified collectible form intended for connoisseurs, collectors, and institutions.
About the Artist:
Leonor Fini (1907–1996) was an Argentine-born Italian-French painter, illustrator, author, and stage designer whose electrifying fusion of myth, mysticism, eroticism, and psychological depth established her as one of the most unmistakable and influential artistic voices of the twentieth century. Celebrated for depicting women as sovereign, enigmatic, and psychologically commanding beings, Fini rejected the patriarchal hierarchy of Surrealism even as she exhibited alongside its foremost figures, forging instead a fiercely independent path defined by theatricality, female autonomy, and visionary imagination. Her richly symbolic universe filled with sphinxes, priestesses, witches, and androgynous guardians was shaped by a broad constellation of influences including Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, while also drawing deeply from Symbolist painting, Renaissance portraiture, and Venetian colorism. Moving among artists such as Max Ernst, Giorgio de Chirico, Leonora Carrington, Dorothea Tanning, Meret Oppenheim, and Pavel Tchelitchew, she nevertheless maintained a singular vision whose impact reverberates through the work of later creators including Kiki Smith, Cindy Sherman, Marlene Dumas, Tracey Emin, Pierre et Gilles, Laurie Simmons, and numerous feminist and queer artists who embraced her exploration of gender, identity, and psychological mythology. A prolific illustrator and designer, Fini also shaped European performance culture through celebrated costumes and stage designs, while her paintings entered major museum collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tate Modern, Centre Pompidou, the Museum of Modern Art in Buenos Aires, and the Moderna Museet. Known for her imaginative freedom, elaborate personal style, and legendary Parisian salon, she remains a defining figure in feminist and avant-garde art history. The highest auction record for Leonor Fini was achieved when her self-portrait Autoportrait au Scorpion sold for 2,319,000 USD at Sotheby's New York on May 12, 2021, underscoring the dramatic rise in appreciation for her visionary legacy.
Leonor Fini Sans titre Parallelement 1969 lithograph modern surrealism feminist art.