Vintage Karel Benes Signed Ex-Libris Bookplate, Original Colored Lithograph From 1990 Limited Edition, hotsell Circus Themed

This is an ex-libris bookplate lithograph, by Czech artist Karel Benes. It was made for someone named Jana Pomyjova. It shows a clown who is ‘standing below' and ‘silencing the crowd for' a circus high-wire act. It is beautifully colored, in pink, yellow, and white. There is a plate mark, around the central image, which is most clearly seen from the back of the artwork. The lithograph is signed (in pencil) by the artist, on the bottom. It has the number 90 (for the year 1990) next to the signature. There is also a handwritten indication that it is no. 117, from a limited edition of 200 prints.

Ex libris are known, more generally, as bookplates. They are prints, drawings, or watercolors that are designed by artists and made to be pasted into books, often on the inside front covers, to display ownership. In the artwork, the word “Ex-libris” (which is Latin for “from the books of“) is followed by the name of the person for whom it was created. When ex-libris originated in the 15th or 16th Century, they were used by European gentry and usually bore the owner's family coat of arms. When an interest in ex libris collecting began in the 19th Century, it was not uncommon for merchants, scholars, and other professionals to commission these works from prominent artists. By the early part of the 20th century, ex libris designs had moved beyond family heraldry and were created on the basis of the book owner's interests, career, accomplishments, or any motif that was requested from the artist/designer. By the 1950's, the practice of commissioning ex libris had begun to fade.

Karel Benes was born in 1932, in Vlcnov, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic). When he was a teenager, he began studying glass-making, at the Upper School of Art (in Jablonec nad Nisou, Czechoslovakia). He soon switched the focus of his studies to ‘drawing' and later studied art at the Academy of Arts, Architecture & Design (in Prague, Czechoslovakia). He became a prolific book illustrator, a painter, and a graphic artist who focused on producing lithographs. He gained world-wide fame (in the latter part of the 20th Century) for producing ex-libris bookplates. He has created more than 500 ex-libris. He was introduced to this form of art by the famous graphic artist and horse-painter Emil Kotrba. Karel Benes currently lives in Prague and is a member of the Hollar Association of Czech Graphic Artists.

This ex-libris bookplate lithograph is 4 inches (wide) by 5 7/8 inches (high).

This item is in good condition, with no tears or stains. The background paper has a very small fold/bend, in its upper right corner, which does not enter into the area of the image. (See image no. 7.) It could easily be covered, with matting.

RETURNS AND REFUNDS

Please read the description and view hotsell the images, which are a part of the description. I will not accept a return, unless I made a material misstatement in describing the item or failed to disclose significant damage. In such an instance, if I am contacted within 4 days of the receipt of the item, I agree to accept a return, and the item is returned to me within 10 days of the receipt, I will provide a full refund and will also reimburse the buyer for reasonable return shipping costs (for which the method of return has been agreed upon, before the item is returned). If an item is damaged during the initial shipping, the buyer is responsible for communicating with (and submitting paperwork and proof of damage to) the shipper, so that a refund can be obtained. I will assist the buyer with obtaining compensation for the damaged shipment, to the extent that I am able to.