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The Bison (Le Bison)

André Masson

Artwork Details

The Bison (Le Bison)
1944
André Masson
soft-ground etching on paper
3 7/16 in x 4 ⅜ in (8.73 cm x 11.11 cm);5 4/5 in x 7 9/16 in (14.76 cm x 19.21 cm);3 7/16 in x 4 ⅜ in (8.73 cm x 11.11 cm);14 ¼ in x 19 ⅜ in (36.2 cm x 49.21 cm)
Gift of Mrs. Florence L. Stol
1964/2.49

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Description

Fascinated by the American bison, Masson used this motif several times. He noted that he had seen one in the Central Park Zoo, and he might also have seen them on a farm where they were bred in New York state. To the artist they had the symbolic power of a totem. The Museum’s impression of this print is one of an unknown number of proofs printed on small-size paper, some of which the artist signed and gave to friends as gifts.
Label copy for exhibition "Dreamscapes: The Surrealist Impulse," August 22 - October 25, 1998

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