Michael Parkes

MICHAEL PARKES (Sikeston, Missouri, United States, 1944).
“Venus.”
Glass vase with polychrome decoration.
Goebel, Artis Orbis collection.
Signed.
With Artis Orbis stamp.
Measurements: 45 cm high × 20 cm in diameter.

This vase depicts “Venus,” one of the compositions from Michael Parkes’s distinctive world of magical realism, in which mythological references, idealized figures, and symbolic elements coexist. The vertical shape of the vessel is particularly well-suited to the female figure, while the transparency of the glass enhances the luminosity of the flesh tones, greens, blues, and golds.

The Artis Orbis collection brought works by renowned artists into the realm of decorative arts through elaborate techniques applied to porcelain and glass. In this piece, its remarkable height of 45 cm and the richness of the image give it a striking ornamental presence.

Michael Parkes is one of the leading contemporary exponents of magical realism. A painter, sculptor, and distinguished lithographer, he developed a personal artistic language marked by mythology and by his travels and studies of Eastern traditions. Based in Spain since the 1970s, his work has gained widespread international recognition.