Engraving on vélin de Rives paper. Paper size: 13.18 x 10.55 inches. Excellent condition. Inscription: unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Notes: From the volume, Portrait de A. Decaris, 1953. Published by Editions d'Art Manuel Bruker, Paris; printed by Ateliers Rigal, Paris, January 30, 1953. Excerpted from the volume (translated from French), The present portrait of Albert Decaris was completed to print on January 30, 1953 for typography by Zichieri; for engraving by Rigal. The edition has been set at 250 on vélin de Rives. The first twenty examples are suites on annam of all the engravings. ALBERT DECARIS (1901-1988) was a French artist, engraver, painter and Olympic Gold Medallist. Decaris was the first illustrator of luxury art books such as Le Chant de Mon Voyage vers la Grèce by Léon Cathlin, Combourg by Chateaubriand, Les Discours des Misères de ce Temps by Ronsard and Les Destinées by Alfred de Vigny. Decaris joined the infamous group called FVHJ at age 24. In the 1930s, Decaris began engraving postage stamps, resulting in more than 500 such designs, for various postal services, notably French and African. Stamp collectors are fond of Decaris' stamps, as well as derivative products: small images and first day covers. Decaris was one of the best and most meritorious French engravers of the 20th century, with a strange mix of classicism and audacity. As reflected by columnist Yvan Christ, "Decaris' works take place beyond times and styles. They are made for duration." (L'Amateur d'Art, Paris, Feb 1988). He is also notable for being the last person to ever win an Olympic Gold Medal for Etching and Engraving, with his work, The Swimming Pool, at the 1948 Summer Games in London. After that Olympiad, the artistic medal categories were discontinued.