Ceri RICHARDS The Bee-Keeper  (1955)

Original lithograph in colours on cream wove paper, signed in pencil and numbered from the small limited edition of 30. In good condition with some signs of age and handling: a professionally repaired 4cm tear upper left sheet edge, two nicks to lower sheet edge, minor discolouration towards sheet edges, nicks and paper abrasion to lower right sheet edge, long shallow creases to right and above image which may or may not be a platemark or other result of the printmaking process,  all or most of which would be hidden by a mount, but we also think that the sheet could reasonably be left visible/floated if desired. Beekeeper is a frequently revisited subject for Richards who created several drawings and paintings of the same name. This print was part of the British Council touring exhibition Gravures et lithographies Anglaises Contemporaines, and the Art Gallery of NSW has a copy in its collection, but we can find no sales or auction results. An extraordinarily early and rare example of this popular Welsh artist's wonderful printmaking technique