Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Vhils Print Index
Scratching The Surface (First Edition)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Scratching The Surface (First Edition) is documented in this catalog as a 2014 Lithograph. The saved release record lists dimensions of 90 x 60 cm. The saved record attributes the release to Underdogs. The cataloged edition information is 200.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: Edition of /200. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
The title captures Vhils' method precisely — he works by scratching and carving into surfaces to reveal images. As a seven-colour Idem Studio lithograph, this print carries that ethos into a refined format, and the IDEM stamp documents its Paris atelier provenance for collectors.
Collector Perspective
At 90 × 60 cm, this is one of the larger Vhils lithographs, though its edition of 200 makes it more available than his tighter runs. The IDEM Studio stamp adds verifiable provenance, and the seven-colour build gives it visual depth valued by collectors of his fine-print work.
Historical Context
Printed at Idem Studio, whose history runs through the great modernists, Scratching The Surface (2014) is a keystone Vhils lithograph that shares its Paris atelier lineage with Glimpse. Its title has become shorthand for the artist's entire subtractive philosophy.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned lithograph
- Release date
- 2014
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Lithograph; catalog dimensions 90 x 60 cm; Seven-colour lithograph printed on a Marinoni lithographic press; Paper: BFK Rives 270 g – hand cut.
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: Edition of /200.
- Signature and marks
- The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: This page treats Vhils'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: Printed at Idem Studio, whose history runs through the great modernists, Scratching The Surface (2014) is a keystone Vhils lithograph that shares its Paris atelier lineage with Glimpse . 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 2014 and attributes the edition to Underdogs.
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 Underdogs. 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.
- Vhils — official site — Vhils studio · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official artist site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
- Vhils — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- Vhils (Q115823) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
FAQ
What does the IDEM stamp signify?
It documents that the print was produced at Idem Studio in Paris, adding verifiable atelier provenance.
How large is the edition?
200 impressions, larger than many Vhils editions, making it comparatively more available.
What are the dimensions?
90 × 60 cm on hand-cut BFK Rives 270gsm paper.
