Michael Parkes’ illustrious career has revolutionized the magical realism style. His penchant for meticulous detail and evocative fantasy themes have made his work highly prized by collectors and connoisseurs around the world.
Marcus Ashley Gallery is enormously proud to be able to offer a selection of limited edition Michael Parkes artist works to our clients. Taste is naturally subjective, but here, we’ve selected the top ten most popular prints according to our customers’ and curators’ preferences. Enjoy this marvelous depiction of surrealism, fantasy, and folklore.
Gargoyles depicts a youthful girl who has cast aside her innocence for powers unknown. Its captivating composition sparks curiosity and intrigue at first glance, and each small detail fills you with wonder at the story behind the girl controlling the gargoyles.
How did the girl come into this power? What is the gargoyle reaching for? Is the girl maliciously breathing life into the gargoyle, or is she as innocent as she seems? Like all Michael Parkes paintings, the story behind the curious figures is up to you to discern.
While certainly one of the least fantasy-themed of Parkes’ work, this masterful still life is no less magical. The impending storm in the background, the perched cat, and the precarious open book make you feel like perhaps this is not reality, but something a little more wondrous.
Parkes’ still life paintings perfectly demonstrate his immense skill and unique style. This limited edition Michael Parkes artist print is one of our most popular, and it can be printed on giclee canvas in two sizes for your personal collection.
The title of this recognizable work comes from an old English nursery rhyme: “Tuesday’s child is full of Grace.” The woman defying gravity on a burning rope is believed to be a representation of Grace, who is not bound by logic or reason. Parkes says that Grace works mysteriously and cannot be demanded, hence the surreality of the figure’s movements in the painting.
The beauty of this limited edition Michael Parkes artist print masks a surprising sadness. In legends, the Dark Unicorn was the only creature that remained when the pure unicorns were taken from the sinful earth. He remained to absorb the sins and sorrows of humanity so that the world would not fall into chaos, slowly turning black. The angel beside the dark unicorn in this painting tries to convince the selfless unicorn to leave, but he will not.
Two figures are at play in this astounding Michael Parkes artist image: a powerful black jaguar and a nude winged woman in black stockings, the latter stroking the former’s chin. The contrast between these two figures is stunning, and the sharp black and white contrast in this composition can be interpreted as the harmony of yin and yang. Parkes says of this piece, “The dark and dangerous panther sits in the calm atmosphere of the loving angel.”
This cool-toned, ethereal painting captivates the challenging subject of cosmology and moonlight. The angel holds a representation of the moon in her hand while the full moon shines brightly out, illuminating the angel’s thin and perfect form.
Parkes has also delved into the medium of sculpture, and this is one of the most famous works he has brought into the third dimension. View Moonstruck as a bronze sculpture, which you can also purchase for your collection.
Creatures and humans mix amid a pool of still water and lilypads, and the figures are not entirely corporeal. At first glance, it might seem like a landscape, but upon a closer look, you see it’s more like a dreamscape.
Swan Lake is one of the most colorful and complex in our collection of limited edition Michael Parkes artist prints. Parkes explains the setting for this painting as “a body of water found in a magical place, between Time’s unbreakable chain and human longings.”
Mermaids meet music in this charming masterpiece of magical realism. A blindfolded woman players a string instrument, luring the mermaids in to sing along, enchanted by them even though she cannot see them. The waves have an almost geometric, minimalist appearance, while the figures seem like perfect dolls. It’s another memorable piece that makes Michael Parkes a painter like no other.
This painting features a reclining nude woman and exotic themes, reminiscent of an odalisque painting that was so popular in the 19th century. The somewhat unreal perspective and partially two-dimensional backgrounds add a layer of surreality to this gorgeous composition. The mood is ornate, indulgent, tropical, and mysterious — a brilliant addition to any collection. Notably, this recent Parkes piece was completed during the COVID-19 quarantine in 2020, where everyone was, quite literally, “going nowhere.” Of this time, Parkes remarked, “During this quarantine, I have been painting as usual, and she is finished. Because of not leaving the house, I thought the name ‘Going Nowhere 2020’ was very appropriate.”
Running the Bath is a more sensual, yet still magical, piece from Michael Parkes’ collection. A woman bathes with the aid of a blindfolded animal companion or attendant, and her bathtub has a peculiar face, clutching an egg with one of its claw feet. It’s this remarkable imagination that makes Michael Parkes paintings like nothing else, and Running the Bath is a great showcase of the bizarre meeting the elegant.
Explore More Michael Parkes Artist Prints
Michael Parkes has a style and repertoire like none other. His style and creativity cannot be perfectly imitated, and he is without a doubt the world’s most prolific magical realism painter today. A Michael Parkes painting is a rare piece that collectors and art lovers from around the world covet and treasure.
This is just a sample of the remarkable talent and skill Parkes’ collection has brought to the art world. If you’d like to see more of Michael Parkes’ artist images, sculptures, jewelry, and paintings, please peruse his profile on our online gallery.
