Irish Modernist, 1952 Basil Ivan Rákóczi White Stag Group Figure and Animal, Rare 30 Edition Size Lithograph on Paper

An extremely rare and visually stunning mid century modern work by Basil Ivan Rákóczi (1908-1979). A limited edition lithograph, it is signed, numbered 9 out of 30, and dated by the artist.

Rakoczi was an Irish artist born in London. He was a prominent and leading member of the Irish art group, the White Stag, along with Kenneth Hall.

Throughout his life he was proud of both his Irish heritage from his mother's side and his Hungarian heritage from his father's.

After attending Brighton School of Art, he studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris. Rakoczi set up a studio at 8 Fitzroy Street, Belgravia in 1932, and in 1935 founded the Society for Creative Psychology with Herbrand Ingouville-Williams, for study and development based on the 'natural rhythm of life', with a focus on group therapy, psychoanalysis and art. He was taken up by the progressive gallerist Lucy Wertheim in the late 1930s, alongside Barbara Hepworth, Christopher Wood, and Norah McGuinness. Following the death by suicide of his close friend and fellow-artist Kenneth Hall in July 1946, Rakoczi moved to France where he lived for the rest of his life. In 1947 he studied briefly with Ossip Zadkine, and in the same year met the Belgian artist Maurice Brasseur, with whom he later shared a studio in Paris.

Basil Rákóczi's work has featured in over 150 exhibitions, of which more than 60 have been solo shows. His first commercial exhibition was in 1935 at the Artificer’s Guild in Cambridge and throughout his life, he had regular exhibitions at the Irish Museum of Living Art, the Royal Hibernian Academy and the Watercolour Society of Ireland.

More recently, in the summer of 2005, his paintings were featured at the Irish Museum of Modern Art along with other White Stag works in a successful exhibition.

He has art works in public collections across the globe including the University of Sussex, Derby City Art Gallery, Manchester City Art Gallery, Dublin's Trinity College, the Ulster Museum in Belfast, the Queensland Australia National Collection and Auckland City Art Gallery.

The lithograph (mount aperture) measures 38 x 49 cm, the overall framed size being 56 x 66 cm

The lithograph has its full margins. An image of the artwork without the mount is available. For Irish buyers, please note that artwork can be shipped from France/EU, where I travel frequently (without the glass in the frame).

Nous parlons français, und wir sprechen auch Deutsch! Paintings may be viewed in Norwich and in Paris, as well as in London and Cambridge by appointment. Please contact us if you would like further details and images of an artwork.