Nativity
Artist
John August Swanson
(1938 - 2021)
Date1988
MediumSerigraph, 48 color printings
Dimensions38 1/2 x 11 3/4 in. (97.8 x 29.8 cm)
Framed (Frame is silver metal, wired, glazed): 46 x 19 3/4 x 1 3/4 in. (116.8 x 50.2 x 4.4 cm)
Framed (Frame is silver metal, wired, glazed): 46 x 19 3/4 x 1 3/4 in. (116.8 x 50.2 x 4.4 cm)
ClassificationsPrintmaking
Credit LineGift of Diane Kenney '64 and DarEll Weist
Object number2026.076
DescriptionNativity – History of the ImageSwanson first painted "Nativity" in 1987 as a 23″ x 7″ watercolor. That painting became the foundation of his 1988 serigraph of the same name, which he printed at Advanced Graphics Studio in London. It became part of the Nativity Triptych, which included "Shepherds," 1985 and "Epiphany," 1988. The Triptych later expanded to six artworks with the inclusion of: "A Visit," 1995, "Flight into Egypt," 2002, and "Presentation in the Temple," 2004.
In 2011, Swanson revisited "Nativity," creating a one-of-one edition for Juan Diego Catholic High School in Salt Lake City, UT. The 1988 serigraph was scanned, and a single giclée was printed of the piece. Additional details were hand-painted on top of the print by Swanson for the school. A new digital record of the painted giclee was created by the Swanson Studio.
In 2017, the giclée edition "The Annunciation" was published. Swanson to consider the possibility of creating a new suite of giclee artworks depicting the birth narrative. The serigraph editions depicting those stories were largely unavailable, and the possibility or returning to those stories using the techniques and refinements he had developed in his years working with giclee printing was exciting.
This giclée edition has been sized to match the height of The Annunciation. Skin tones have been softened and warmed, as Swanson did in his one-of-one giclee for the artwork. Gradations have been refined, and additional details in the plants and sky from Swanson’s other serigraphs, paintings, and sketches have been introduced. Elements taken from the digital record of the Juan Diego work were moved, combined with a direct scan of the serigraph, and placed in the new giclée to ensure that there would be no image degradation. The giclée edition was completed in October, 2022.
https://johnaugustswanson.com/catalog/nativity-2022/
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