You know I am a huge fan of Venice, right?
The Venice Suite by Sir Peter Blake (2009) is a portfolio of 20 limited edition silkscreen prints on 400gsm Somerset tub sized paper in an edition of 75.
The Venice Suite was inspired by Blake’s trip to Venice for the Biennale of 2007. Each piece in the portfolio is a jewel of his trademark collage style.
Blake combines traditional images of the city on the lagoon with visual excerpts from vintage childrens’ books, photographs, postcards, as well as details from works of the old masters.
This visual witticism is teamed with a palette of turquoise, gold and the grey of the stones of Venice to create a surreal fairytale vision of the city. Blake juxtaposes the baroque grandeur of the architectural icons of Venice with giant penguins, wartime bombers, Edwardian rowers and icebergs to name a few.
The end result is a portfolio of works that are playful, imaginative, beautiful, immensely varied and representative of Sir Peter Blake’s unique vision.
Born in 1932,
Sir Peter Blake is well known as the Godfather of British Pop Art, he produces spectacular original prints, his work crosses all generational divides, and inspires great respect through the art world.
Knighted in 2002, an honorary doctor of the Royal College of Art his work is represented in major collections throughout the world, Sir Peter Blake truly is a grandee of British Art.
Also, did you know that Blake has designed the labels for the Tate + Mad Hatter Brewing Co collaborative bottles?
—julija svetlova
Flommist Julija Svetlova is an art historian, freelance researcher and a founder of Neja’s Art Walks, a bespoke provider of art and history-related tours and experiences in London. Julija previously worked as a collection research assistant at the Tate. Copyright © 2024 Julija Svetlova.
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