Accession Number
2006/2.78

Title
Cliché Vere

Artist(s)
Robert Rauschenberg

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1980

Medium & Support
lithograph on mylar

Dimensions
25 in x 18 ¾ in (63.5 cm x 47.63 cm);25 in x 18 ¾ in (63.5 cm x 47.63 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Dr. Sheldon and Jessie Stern

Subject matter
Rauschenberg was comissioned to create an original cliché verre for the Detroit Institute of Arts' Schwartz Galleries of Prints and Drawings inagural exhibition, "Cliché-verre: Hand-Drawn, Light-Printed." The text on the print--"Cliché Verre" "Hand Drawn Light Printed" "July 12"  "Aughust 21" "The Detroit Institute of Arts"--refer to this exhibition. Rauschenberg worked with many different media throughout his career, and this was the first time he worked with cliché verre. The cliché verre was made by exposing a bicycle wheel--perhaps an homage to Duchamp's "Bicycle Wheel"--a glass jar, a sprig of flowers, bits of cut-up and rearranged letters from a variety of prints sources, cut-up photographic negatives, textiles, and other things–on a light-sensitive surface. From the original cliché verre, 200 signed and 800 unsigned lithographs were created. UMMA's copy is 160/200 of the signed copies. Rauschenberg is known for his mixed media collages, and he creates a similar layering effect in this work. 

Physical Description
This print has a dark background with light colored designs so it is in the negative of normal prints. Designs include a large bicycle wheel, a floral outline in upper left hand corner, horizontal lines and checkered pattern on the right. The text: "Cliché Verre" and "Hand Drawn Light Printed" appear in the center of work. "July 12" and "August 21" appear on right side, within horizontal lines, and "The Detroit Institute of Arts" is along the left horizontal edge.

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Abstract (fine arts style)
cliché-verre (photographic process)
commissions (orders for works)
lithographic presses
prints (visual works)