Cirque Chinois

1976

© ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

View by appointment

Artist: Stanley William Hayter 1901–1988
Medium: Etching on paper
Dimensions: Image: 492 x 396 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Purchased 1981
Reference: P07473

Catalogue entry

P07473 CIRQUE CHINOIS 1976 [P07470-P07476;complete]

Inscribed ‘SW Hayter 76’ bottom right and ‘Cirque Chinois’ and ‘51/75’

Etching, printed by the artist with Hector Saunier and published by the artist, 19 3/8× 15 5/8 (49.2×30.6)
Purchased from the artist (Grant-in-Aid) 1981

These seven etchings [P07470-P07476] are printed in colour by the method Hayter has evolved over many years of experimentation. He uses engraved line (see ‘Cirque Chinois’ [P07473]) as well as hard-ground etching and aquatint and applies colour to the plate both wiped in in the usual way, and rolled onto the surface of the plate in different viscosities enabling him to print a number of different colour in a single pass through the press. The colour blend in ‘Chute’ [P07472] from red to yellow, green and deep blue is an outstanding example, and illustrates Hayter's ability to control the shades of colour produced by the overlay of his inks-yet further widening the colour range in a single printing.

Published in:
The Tate Gallery 1980-82: Illustrated Catalogue of Acquisitions, London 1984