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Prints and Multiples / Cyril Edward Power (1872-1951) The Merry-Go-Round Linocut printed in a mixture of Chinese orange and chrome orange and Chinese blue, circa 1930, on buff oriental laid tissue, a very good, richly inked impression, signed and numbered 13/50 in pencil, with wide margins, a tiny paper split at the lower edge of the image, soft creasing at the corners, otherwise in good condition, framedBlock 305 x 304mm. (12 x 12in.); Sheet 398 x 382mm. (15 5/8 x 15 1/8in.)

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Cyril Edward Power (1872-1951) The Merry-Go-Round Linocut printed in a mixture of Chinese orange and chrome orange and Chinese blue, circa 1930, on buff oriental laid tissue, a very good, richly inked impression, signed and numbered 13/50 in pencil, with wide margins, a tiny paper split at the lower edge of the image, soft creasing at the corners, otherwise in good condition, framedBlock 305 x 304mm. (12 x 12in.); Sheet 398 x 382mm. (15 5/8 x 15 1/8in.) image 1
Cyril Edward Power (1872-1951) The Merry-Go-Round Linocut printed in a mixture of Chinese orange and chrome orange and Chinese blue, circa 1930, on buff oriental laid tissue, a very good, richly inked impression, signed and numbered 13/50 in pencil, with wide margins, a tiny paper split at the lower edge of the image, soft creasing at the corners, otherwise in good condition, framedBlock 305 x 304mm. (12 x 12in.); Sheet 398 x 382mm. (15 5/8 x 15 1/8in.) image 2
Thumbnail of Cyril Edward Power (1872-1951) The Merry-Go-Round Linocut printed in a mixture of Chinese orange and chrome orange and Chinese blue, circa 1930, on buff oriental laid tissue, a very good, richly inked impression, signed and numbered 13/50 in pencil, with wide margins, a tiny paper split at the lower edge of the image, soft creasing at the corners, otherwise in good condition, framedBlock 305 x 304mm. (12 x 12in.); Sheet 398 x 382mm. (15 5/8 x 15 1/8in.) image 1
Thumbnail of Cyril Edward Power (1872-1951) The Merry-Go-Round Linocut printed in a mixture of Chinese orange and chrome orange and Chinese blue, circa 1930, on buff oriental laid tissue, a very good, richly inked impression, signed and numbered 13/50 in pencil, with wide margins, a tiny paper split at the lower edge of the image, soft creasing at the corners, otherwise in good condition, framedBlock 305 x 304mm. (12 x 12in.); Sheet 398 x 382mm. (15 5/8 x 15 1/8in.) image 2
Lot 7
Cyril Edward Power
(1872-1951)
The Merry-Go-Round
Prints and Multiples
29 June 2022, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £48,180 inc. premium

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Cyril Edward Power (1872-1951)

The Merry-Go-Round (Coppel CEP.16)
Linocut printed in a mixture of Chinese orange and chrome orange and Chinese blue, circa 1930, on buff oriental laid tissue, a very good, richly inked impression, signed and numbered 13/50 in pencil, with wide margins, a tiny paper split at the lower edge of the image, soft creasing at the corners, otherwise in good condition, framed

Block 305 x 304mm. (12 x 12in.); Sheet 398 x 382mm. (15 5/8 x 15 1/8in.)

Footnotes

Provenance
Gifted by the artist to his nephew Thomas Champness (1901-1997).
Thence by descent to the current owner.

Amusement parks were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and were a great source of inspiration for the Grosvenor School artists, who sought to express the speed and innovation of the modern age via the imagery of racing cars, amusement rides and new machines. The linocut was well suited to expressing ideas of speed and movement. Its soft malleable surface was easy to carve and the fluid lines, repeating rhythmic patterns and simple bold colour combinations were employed to convey this dynamism.

The inspiration for this particular image was taken from the Merry-Go-Round at the Wembley Exhibition Fun Fair in London, close to the artist's home in Brook Green. It is a dazzling display of technical skill and compositional flair. Power's intricate design uses a series of sweeping and tapering curved lines for the apparatus of the Merry-Go-Round and zig-zag shapes for the figures which gradually become more abstract, giving a sense of gathering momentum. The central column is set at an angle, adding to the illusion of propulsion and the vibrant orange and blue enhance the overall dynamic effect. The Merry-Go-Round is transformed into a whirlwind of energy, perfectly capturing the thrill of the ride, both for the riders and the spectators.

We have found only four other impressions of this linocut appearing at auction in the last twenty-six years.

Additional information