Pua Olua by John Melville Kelly

Pua Olua by John Melville Kelly

Pua Olua

John Melville Kelly

Title

Pua Olua

 
Artist
Year
c. 1935  
Technique
color aquatint 
Image Size
16 7/8 x 12 7/8" platemark 
Signature
pencil, lower right 
Edition Size
unique color proof from an unstated edition 
Annotations
pencil titled; artist's studio blindstamp, lower right 
Reference
 
Paper
cream wove 
State
proof 
Publisher
artist 
Inventory ID
CKCS101 
Price
SOLD
Description

John Kelly's mastery of the complex color aquatint technique, enhanced with minimal, delicately rendered etching line, is evidenced in this glowing portrait of a Hawaiian woman, a spray of gardenias superimposed around her. Kelly's experimentation with manipulating the inks on the plate allowed for the gradation of light and tone in the color of each print. Because of this, no two color aquatints are exactly alike.

"Pua Olua" roughly translates to "two flowers" comparing the beauty of the unidentified model and the gardenias. This image is not included in the book on Kelly's work "Hawaiian Idyll" and we have not found another impression on line or at auction. From the artist's estate.