Judith Green, Limited Edition Bacchanalian Revel 5/25, Etching with Aquatint

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Etched linework and aquatint tonal shading define this monochromatic woodland revel, printed on heavy wove paper. Clear plate impressions border … Read more Etched linework and aquatint tonal shading define this monochromatic woodland revel, printed on heavy wove paper. Clear plate impressions border the image area, showing the distinct bite and plate tone typical of intaglio printmaking. Slender, dark tree trunks frame the composition against a layered sky, casting a sombre backdrop behind the gathered figures in the clearing below. The subject is an elaborate Bacchanalian scene drawn from classical mythology. Across the foreground lies a scattered picnic of feast wares: an overturned flagon, a small drinking cup, theatrical masks, vine tendrils, and strewn drapery. To the right, a horned goat reclines beside revellers, one of whom hoists a companion overhead while others gesture or raise drinking horns. At the centre, semi-nude figures reach toward fruit bowls and recline in close embrace beside classical plinths and sculpted herm busts. Stylistically, the work blends mythological subject matter with twentieth-century figurative draughtsmanship, using fluid, calligraphic contours to delineate faces, limbs, and drapery folds. Varied aquatint grain creates soft, mid-grey washes across the landscape and clothing, allowing the pale white skin tones of the figures to stand out with striking contrast. Inscribed in pencil along the lower margin directly beneath the plate impression, the sheet is designated as impression 5 from a small edition of 25 to the left, and hand-signed 'Judith Green' to the right. The low edition size indicates an artist-pulled or small private press run rather than commercial mass production. The print is presented ready for hanging, housed beneath glazing in a wide, clean card mount and enclosed within a silver-toned textured frame with subtle linear graining. Produced in the United Kingdom, the work probably dates from the late 20th century, making it a decorative and distinctive piece of modern British printmaking. See less