{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O117346"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O117346/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EU9385/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EU9385/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2011EU9385","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O117346","accessionNumber":"E.260-1994","objectType":"Print","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Walter Spitzer (born 1927) was a printer and painter who continually alternated between the two media and this is shown by the range of techniques used in the images of owls which he gave to poet and scholar Walter Strachan (1903-1994). He was known for his skill with colour, which he used quite vividly. \r\n\r\nSpitzer produced his lithographs first as gouache or watercolour drawings, which then had to be translated into plates one corresponding to each the many different colours. Lithography involves drawing or painting on stone with a greasy crayon or ink. The greasy areas pick up ink from a roller passed over the surface, which is moistened to prevent the ink from sticking to the areas left clear? The image is printed on paper using a flat-bed printing press. A separate stone is needed for each colour.\r\n\r\nPoet and scholar Walter Strachan (1903-1994) had a fascination with the art of the book and wrote many articles on the subject. He visited France every year to build his collection as well as bringing books back to show other possible buyers such as the V&A Museum. His collection of owls began with a visit to artist Roger Chastel (1897-1981) in 1952, where he witnessed the printing of the <i>Le Bestiaire de Paul Eluard</i>. In his diary, Strachan says, “My article on Chastel’s <i>Bestiaire</i> had the happy result of bringing me a special print on Auvergne paper of the owl which I had admired in the book. Contacts in the art-world of Paris are close and friendly, and I was marked down as an owl-man, in consequence of which I have gradually been given dedicated owl prints and originals in every medium from pen and ink to enamel...” Many were one-off gifts or greetings; some were proofs from artist books.","physicalDescription":"Colour lithograph showing five owls in a group with two in front and three behind. One has its wings out-spread. The background is mainly turquoise but runs from red down to purple, with some orange. The owls are in blues, oranges and purples and have black outline.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Spitzer, Walter","id":"A15421"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[{"text":"colour lithography","id":"AAT190525"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Colour lithograph","categories":[{"text":"Images Online","id":"THES48937"},{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2011EU9385"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLE","id":"THES49657"},"free":"","case":"MP","shelf":"55","box":"A"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1955-1960","earliest":"1950-01-01","latest":"1960-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Walter Starchan","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"28.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"22.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Spitzer'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in pen on reverse."},{"content":"'Les Neigers de L'Altenburg'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed in pencil on reverse."}],"objectHistory":"This forms part of a collection of prints, drawings and paintings of owls bequeathed to the V&A by Walter Strachan (1903-1994). Strachan, a scholar and collector of Livres d'Artistes, became friendly with a large number of artists, who, on hearing that he had a fondness for owls, began sending him images to add to his collection.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Colour lithograph, owls, by Walter Spitzer, ca. 1955-1960.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Walter Strachan 'Graphic Owls from France' in <i>The Connoisseur</i>, August 1972."}],"production":"Reason For Production: Private","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"owls","id":"x30399"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.260-1994"],"accessionNumberNum":"260","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1994,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2005-09-29","availableToBook":false}}