William Turnbull, The Garden of Caresses (Set of 5 Prints), 1970

1970

Medium

screenprints on paper

Dimensions

4 × 8 cm

Status

In Gallery Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-153620

A framed selection of five prints from Turnbull's print series A Garden of Caresses, 1970. Each of the 29 images in this series were produced in 5 colour variations – blue, red, green, pink and yellow - with each colours then printed in an edition of 3. This print series was recently discovered, complete, tucked away in the Estate's studio, having never before been offered for sale. The prints were produced in parallel to the publication of a book of Moorish love poetry with the same title. The Garden of Caresses book project was sponsored by Alastair McAlpine one of Turnbull’s most important patrons. 22 of the prints feature in the book, although the figures in the book appear in a darker inky blue, quite different to the bright blue of the print series. In each print Turnbull pays close attention to the way the figures relate to the edges of the paper – envisaging how they would look in book form. The sensual, expressive figures in this series illustrate both Turnbull's talent for drawing from life and his mastery of the medium, which one might not have known from his exhibited work. The playful arrangement of the figure within (and with reference to) the 'frame' recalls drawings of dancers and acrobats made by Matisse and Picasso.