# Original Fine Art Color Etching / Grabado by Miguel Ángel López
**Provenance: From the Private Collection / Estate of Celebrated Art Critic Graciela Kartofel**
## Object Overview
* **Artist:** Miguel Ángel López (Mexican, b. Guadalajara 1951)
* **Medium:** Multi-color Intaglio Etching / Grabado on Heavy Wove Fine Art Paper
* **Edition:** Hors Commerce (H/C) XIII / XV (Ed. of 15)
* **Publisher:** Galería Azul de Felipe Covarrubias (Guadalajara, Mexico)
* **Sheet Dimensions:** Approx. 10" x 8" (Plate size smaller, showing beautiful, deep plate impression)
* **Signatures/Inscriptions:**
- Hand-signed by the artist in pencil (lower right)
- Numbered "H/C XIII/XV" in pencil (lower left)
- Handwritten dedication on front: "de Azul para Graciela con gratitud / dic 91." (From Azul for Graciela with gratitude / December 1991).
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## About the Artwork
This striking modernist etching features Miguel Ángel López’s signature dream-like iconographies, showcasing an intricate, horned creature riding a bicycle against a textured, fiery golden background.
The print boasts rich ink layerings, strong plate lines, and a hand-torn deckled lower edge. On the reverse, the original gallery certification label from Galería Azul remains intact, stating this exclusive print was edited specially for the close friends who supported the gallery during its first six years.
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## Elite Provenance: The Graciela Kartofel Collection
This piece is a highly collectible artifact of Latin American art history. It carries a direct, handwritten dedication to Graciela Kartofel, the globally respected art historian, independent curator, and critic. This piece was gifted directly to her by the publisher in December 1991, adding impeccable provenance that significantly increases its long-term investment value.
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## Elite Pedigree: The Convergence of Three Mexican Art Icons
This rare print represents a historic intersection between three monumental figures in the 1990s Mexican avant-garde art scene:
1. **The Artist — Miguel Ángel López:** Highly collected and celebrated for his masterfully executed, dream-like surrealist figures and expert use of color intaglio.
2. **The Publisher — Felipe Covarrubias:** Known as a founding patriarch of contemporary Mexican graphic design and winner of the prestigious *José Guadalupe Posada Gold Medal*. His legendary **Galería Azul** in Guadalajara was a revered hub for experimental printmaking.
3. **The Collector — Graciela Kartofel:** One of the most influential Latin American art critics, authors, and international curators of her generation.
**An Exclusive Historical Document:**
As the original gallery label on the reverse certifies, this "Hors Commerce" (H/C) edition was never meant for the public commercial market. It was a private gift issued by Covarrubias directly to Kartofel in December 1991 to thank her for her immense support of the gallery. The handwritten pencil dedication on the front—*"de Azul para Graciela con gratitud"*—solidifies its flawless, museum-grade provenance.
## Condition Report
* Excellent vintage condition.
* Never framed.
* Safe, clean margins with crisp embossing lines.
* Minor handling characteristics expected of hand-pulled artist proofs.
* The original certification slip is safely adhered to the upper left corner on the reverse side as issued. Please view all high-resolution images for close-up details.
## Shipping & Handling
* Ships flat and securely packed between heavy-duty archival boards.
* Fully insured with tracking numbers provided immediately upon dispatch.