Vintage hammered repousse aluminum plaque after painting François “Fanch” Ledan

François “Fanch” Ledan (born 1949) is a French artist who was represented by the West Park gallery (Michigan) until very recently. This piece is a hand-made aluminum decorative plaque made by the Wendell August Forge (USA), which has developed an exclusive process of hand-hammered and repousse technique to create an elite line of art and gift items: www.wendelauguste.com They created this piece of art based on one of Fanch's paintings titled “Magical Moonlit Night”, made in 2001 (see an example here ---an Etsy listing: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1084275615 10” by 7”½, this plaque depicts an elegant Art Deco-looking interior with bay windows overlooking vistas in Venice or the French Riviera. A remarkable work of art and craftsmanship as well as a conversation piece. Condition: very good vintage condition. A few tiny spots where the metal surface seems to be corroded (see picture with the red arrows), hardly noticeable. Engraved signature of the artist on the bottom right corner (see picture). The back has a beautifully hammered surface and shows the number of this piece (limited edition of 1,500). The last image, where the plaque appears in a black frame, represents how the piece COULD be presented (the frame is not included). This piece comes with a certificate of authenticity made by the West Park gallery mentioned above, as well as with an appraisal document made by same gallery in 2001 (value then: $451, which corresponds to $718 of today w/ inflation).