Gauntlet Gallery — D*Face Print Index
Death And Glory (First edition)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
"Death And Glory" is a 2007 Black Rat Press etching in a signed edition of 50, combining etching and aquatint with hand-colouring. The 48 x 46 cm plate sits within a 58 x 56 cm sheet, and the release was accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek origin story about hazardous chemicals and blind Italian master printers.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: Description : Signed edition of 50. The saved release record describes: signed. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
Etching is a rarity in D*Face's largely screenprint-based catalogue, making this a technically distinctive work. The aquatint and hand-colouring lend a tonal richness impossible in his flat graphic prints, while the mock-heroic backstory shows his satirical persona extending into the marketing itself. It bridges traditional intaglio and street sensibility.
Collector Perspective
At an edition of 50 in a medium D*Face rarely used, this holds appeal for collectors seeking breadth in his catalogue. Etchings carry plate marks and delicate hand-colouring that reward inspection for pressure, inking and any foxing on the sheet. The published narrative is playful marketing rather than fact, so collectors should judge the object on its own merits.
Historical Context
Intaglio etching and aquatint are centuries-old techniques, and their use by a street-derived artist in 2007 reflects the movement's move into fine-art printmaking. Black Rat Press facilitated D*Face's excursion into the medium. The "death and glory" theme, with its skull-and-honour tension, sits squarely within his memento-mori preoccupations.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned print or object
- Release date
- 2007
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Etching | Hand Finished; catalog dimensions 58 x 56 cm; Medium : Etching and aquatint with hand coloring; The chemicals were so dangerous the printers had to wear Mylar suits that made them look like paint-spattered astronauts, and old, craggy Italian masters came out from retirement just so they could see the proccess with their own eyes; The print is a hand-coloured etching of his Iwo Jima reworking from the recent Death & Glory show on 400grm paper and looks so good we're calling it art.
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: Description : Signed edition of 50.
- Signature and marks
- The saved release record describes: signed. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: This page treats D*Face's broader career as background context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition or event. Release-level facts here come from a saved secondary catalog record.
Meaning / interpretation: Read as documented context rather than stated intent: Intaglio etching and aquatint are centuries-old techniques, and their use by a street-derived artist in 2007 reflects the movement's move into fine-art printmaking. This is an interpretive reading of the release context, not a statement of the artist's intent for this specific work. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2007 and attributes the edition to Black Rat Press.
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to Black Rat Press. That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added
- Saved release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog snapshot · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Starting record for title, year, edition, dimensions, medium, and release description. Primary confirmation against the original release page remains pending.
- D*Face — official site — D*Face studio · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official artist site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
- D*Face — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- D*Face (Q5203218) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
FAQ
What technique was used?
It is an etching and aquatint with hand-colouring, an unusual medium for D*Face, who mostly worked in screenprint.
Is the chemical backstory true?
The published tale of hazardous chemicals and blind Italian printers is satirical marketing, in keeping with D*Face's humour, not documented fact.
What are the plate and sheet sizes?
The plate is 48 x 46 cm within a 58 x 56 cm sheet, in a signed edition of 50.
