'Mexican Fishermen in Lake Patzcuaro' Lithograph by Yves Brayer (1963)

'Mexican Fishermen in Lake Patzcuaro', lithograph by Yves Brayer (1963). The artist, Yves Brayer, spent time painting in Mexico in 1963, one of the many worldwide destinations to which he travelled with the intention of portraying life in his oil and watercolour paintings in those places. In this lithograph, fishermen on Lake Patzcuaro, well east of Mexico City, employ a method which uses traditional butterfly nets as a 'spoon' to lift fish and shrimp from just below the surface. The fishermen reach the centre of the lake and form a circle with their little canoes and nets to startle the pescado blanco, a local delicacy, forcing them to swim towards the nets and get trapped. Those nets give the boats a fancied appearance of butterflies, hence the name. Each of the canoes are carved from a single tree trunk. This piece is in good overall condition and is being sold unframed. A fold mark is subtly visible in the centre of the lithograph which is attached to a cardboard base. The work is signed in the plate. Please enjoy the many photos accompanying the listing. Upon request a video may be provided. 

About the Artist: Yves Brayer (1907-1990) was born in Versailles, France. Determined to be an artist from an early age, he set out for Paris in 1924, initially studying at the academies in Montparnasse, and from there he attended the École des Beaux-Arts. Whilst still a student he exhibited at the Salon d’Automne and the Salon des Indépendants, and in 1927 Brayer left Paris for Spain with the aid of a state grant to enable him to study the works of the Spanish Masters in the Prado. 

On his return to Paris in 1934 he exhibited a collection of paintings inspired by his travels in Europe and Morocco to great acclaim. Having moved south to Cordes in the Tarn region of France after the War, Brayer then discovered the area which was to have the greatest artistic influence on his work: Provence. He was enchanted by the diverse and architectural forms of the Alpilles mountains, and by the vast expanse of the Camargue region with its ubiquitous white horses and black bulls. From then on he spent several months each year working in Provence. He also made several trips to Mexico, Egypt, Iran, Greece, Russia, USA and Japan where he was quick to grasp the unique rhythm and light of each country.

A large collection of Yves Brayer’s paintings are on permanent display both at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Cordes, in the Salle Yves Brayer and at the Musée Yves Brayer in Les Baux de Provence, as well as various museums in France and elsewhere. Yves Brayer died in 1990.

Dimensions of Lithograph:

H 37 cm / 14.6"

W 57 cm / 22.4"