Miller, Lilian (1895 - 1943), "Makaen Monastery, Diamond Mountains, Korea"

Notes: A rare color variant, displaying much brighter colors than other examples. A color proof of 20 impressions. Due to the slight differences in colors and edition #1/20, this is perhaps the very first completed impression of this particular design.

The artist depicts the Mahalyan temple "romantically positioned" on a cliffside in the Diamond Mountains, nestled among a grove of great fir trees and overlooking a panorama of huge peaks. The rough textures of the foreground foliage and the temple contrast with the smooth silhouette of the second tree closest to the temple and the distant precipice. To the right the tones shade from dark green to blue-green to grey while to the left they change from olive green to brown to yellow. The geometric forms of the temple at the center of the composition stand out against the organic shapes of the tree and mountains. In this rich mix of forms and colors, the scarcely noticeable figures of the two bowing monks emphasize how far Miller has come from the "charming figures" of her early prints.

Provenance: Acquired directly from a descendant of the L.M. Miller family. This was accompanied with the entire family collection of remaining works; including original paintings, pencil sketches and one of a kind proofs.