“The Parakeet” Woodcut by Michael Rothenstein c.1984

A very nice example of Michael Rothenstein’s vibrant art, this woodcut print entitled “The Parakeet” is signed and numbered 1 of 35 and has an excellent provenance taped to the back, indicating that it was exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition of 1984 and sold from there. The parakeet is depicted in a hanging picture within the print, top centre, and the image includes traffic lights, a standing woman and facing heads at the bottom right. The colour scheme is a striking mix of black, white, red, orange and blue, and it has an attractive and complementary white wooden frame. This good size piece is one of his nicest and will make a stunning addition to the wall of any home, particularly one with a mid century modern interior. Michael Rothenstein (1908 to 1993) became one of the most experimental printmakers in Britain during the 1950s and ’60s. He was elected as a full Royal Academician in 1983 in the category of Printmaker and as a Senior Academician the following year. The documents on the back include the original exhibit number label, the list of exhibits from Gallery X where it was included, the sales ticket from the exhibition, and a signed note from the artist at the point of sale. Dating to the early 1980s, this is made of paper with a glazed wood frame, and originates from England.