This exceptional lithograph by Claude Garache (1929–2023), titled Sans titre, originates from the historic folio Hommage a Aime et Marguerite Maeght, Derriere le Miroir, No. 250, 1982. Published by Galerie Maeght S.A., Paris, and printed by lImprimerie moderne du Lion, Paris, this composition embodies Garache’s signature focus on the human form — distilled, sensual, and monumental in its simplicity. Executed in a refined palette, the work demonstrates his mastery of contour and negative space, evoking both the vulnerability and strength of the figure.
Printed on velin paper and measuring 15 x 11 inches (38.1 x 27.9 cm). Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. From the folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 250, Hommage a Aime et Marguerite Maeght, 1982. Published by Galerie Maeght S.A., Paris; printed by lImprimerie moderne du Lion, Paris, 1982.
Artwork details:
Artist: Claude Garache (1929–2023)
Title: Sans titre, from Hommage a Aime et Marguerite Maeght, Derriere le Miroir, No. 250
Medium: Lithograph on velin paper
Dimensions: 15 x 11 inches (38.1 x 27.9 cm)
Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued
Date: 1982
Publisher: Galerie Maeght S.A., Paris
Printer: lImprimerie moderne du Lion, Paris, 1982
Condition: Well preserved overall, with condition consistent with its age and medium
Provenance: From Derriere le Miroir, No. 250, Hommage a Aime et Marguerite Maeght, 1982
Excerpted from the folio (translated from French):
This special issue of Derriere le Miroir was designed and defined by Aime Maeght in the fall of 1980. He envisioned its publication as a celebration with which artists and writers published since 1946 were to be associated. Francois Chapon, president of the Reverdy Committee, was chosen to write the presentation. Issue No. 250 ultimately became a tribute to Aime and Marguerite Maeght, who passed away in 1981 and 1977 respectively. Twenty-four artists agreed to create original graphic works for this edition, which includes a complete table of all issues and excerpts from texts by thirty-two writers. Finished printing on June II, MCMLXXXII on the presses of lImprimerie moderne du Lion, Paris. CL examples were printed on Arches vellum, numbered I to CL, with additional non-commercial examples constituting the original edition.
Additional notes (excerpted from Christies, New York):
The lifespan of Derriere le Miroir was thirty-five years, beginning in 1946 under Aime Maeght, whose gallery opened a year earlier. Conceived as a collaboration between artists and poets, the series featured original lithographs and prints by modern masters such as Braque, Matisse, Chagall, Leger, Bonnard, Chillida, and Garache. Although the early issues saw limited commercial success, Derriere le Miroir soon established a permanent format combining fine color printing and critical text, becoming a defining document of postwar European art. Issue No. 250, delayed by Maeghts death, was published in 1982 as a tribute to the Maeghts and to thirty-five years of artistic friendship. It marked the close of an extraordinary era in art publishing.
About the artist:
Claude Garache (1929–2023) was a French painter, sculptor, illustrator, and engraver renowned for his unwavering devotion to the female nude as his central subject. His minimalist compositions, often executed in a single color—most notably a deep, visceral red on white—convey both vulnerability and strength. Through line, gesture, and negative space, Garache sought to express the essence of form and emotion without ornamentation.
Born in Paris in 1929, Garache studied sculpture and drawing under Robert Coutin between 1949 and 1959 and worked in the studios of Andre Lhote and Fernand Leger. He also spent time with Alberto Giacometti and in the sculpture atelier of the Ecole nationale superieure des Beaux-Arts. His early travels throughout Europe, the Middle East, and the United States enriched his understanding of form and movement. In 1955, he served as artistic advisor to director Vincente Minnelli during the filming of Lust for Life, and later created sculptures for Alain Resnais’s celebrated film LAnnee derniere a Marienbad (1961).
Over his career, Garache developed a unique visual language defined by purity of line, controlled intensity, and a profound empathy for the human figure. His works are represented in major private and public collections and have been exhibited widely in France and internationally.
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