Blind Date
John Furnival, Blind Date, 1979, artist's book: etching, embossing, and letterpress on Somerset paper, Gift of Mr. Edward S. Safdie, © unknown, research required, 81.106.187a-w
This work is not currently on view.
- Title
Blind Date
- Artist
- Related People
- Date
1979
- Medium
artist's book: etching, embossing, and letterpress on Somerset paper
- Edition
254/300
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
slipcase: 12 15/16 in x 12 1/8 in x 1 5/8 in; each sheet: 11 1/8 in x 11 3/8 in
- Collection Area
Graphic Arts
- Category
Books, Portfolios, and Manuscripts
Prints
- Object Type
intaglio print
book
- Culture
British
- Credit Line
Gift of Mr. Edward S. Safdie
- Accession Number
81.106.187a-w
- Copyright
© unknown, research required
- Terms
Artists have richly mined the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur since classical antiquity. The Minotaur, a beast composed of the body of a man and the head of a bull, was kept in the labyrinth of King Minos on the island of Crete and fed sacrificial youths and maidens.
In the myth, Theseus must journey through the labyrinth, kill the beast, and find his way out. In this rendition, artist John Furnival deeply embossed the paper to create the labyrinth; the figures at the center of the composition refer to key moments in the narrative. Here the artist depicted the Minotaur trapped in the labyrinth, two of the seven sacrificial maidens, and Theseus’s triumph over the creature.
- Exhibitions
2004 The Enchantment of the Artist's Book: Selections from the Collection of the Portland Art Museum Portland Art Museum
2012 Mythologia: Gods, Heroes, and Monsters Portland Art Museum
