Accession Number
1964/2.49

Title
The Bison (Le Bison)

Artist(s)
André Masson

Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1944

Medium & Support
soft-ground etching on paper

Dimensions
3 7/16 in x 4 ⅜ in (8.73 cm x 11.11 cm);5 4/5 in x 7 9/16 in (14.76 cm x 19.21 cm);3 7/16 in x 4 ⅜ in (8.73 cm x 11.11 cm);14 ¼ in x 19 ⅜ in (36.2 cm x 49.21 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Florence L. Stol

Label copy
Fascinated by the American bison, Masson used this motif several times. He noted that he had seen one in the Central Park Zoo, and he might also have seen them on a farm where they were bred in New York state. To the artist they had the symbolic power of a totem. The Museum’s impression of this print is one of an unknown number of proofs printed on small-size paper, some of which the artist signed and gave to friends as gifts.
Label copy for exhibition "Dreamscapes: The Surrealist Impulse," August 22 - October 25, 1998

Primary Object Classification
Print

Primary Object Type
intaglio print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
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Keywords
Surrealism
automatism
bison
modern and contemporary art