Damp Wood Resting in the Sun

L'Umido del Legno che Marcisce al Sole (original Italian title)

Etching and drypoint printed on laid paper.
Edition of 60.
Signed, titled, dated and numbered in pencil.

NOTE: The first image you see on this page is a detail of a larger work. To see the overall composition, please scroll to the other image(s).

"DETAILS EXHIBIT" NOTE:
Livio Ceschin comes from a village in Italy called Pieve di Soligo, about one hour from Venice. He features the fishing tradition of this region throughout his career. Damp Wood Resting in the Sun shows the result of commercial fishing companies influence on the individual fishermen, with small fishing boats decaying into disrepair on the bank of the river. This detail image of the boat frame employs another common practice in Ceschin’s work: symbolism. Ceschin learned to etch by copying Old Masters, who were notorious for using a plethora of symbolism. Not only is the boat’s frame drapped with old seaweed and it rots away in the sun, there are empty cans and bottles in the mud surrounding it, adding insult to injury. The artist adds more context by adding a hand-sketched map to the bottom portion of the print, which you can see more closely in the detail image. Ceschin will often add bits of cartography or text to his etchings, giving his work even more depth than just their imagery.