Johann Elias Haid’s mezzotint, “Voltaire”, 1783, after Barbié, Houdon and Gravelot

(Attributed to) Johann Elias Haid (1736–1809)—attribution by the Rijksmuseum (see http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.120687) and Ch. LeBlanc (cat. no. 108)

“Voltaire”—an influential French writer, wit and philosopher (aka François Marie Arouet) (1694-1778), 1783, mezzotint published in Augsburg by Johann Jakob Haid (1704-1767), after the etching in the reverse direction, “M. F. A. de Voltaire Mort à Paris...”, by Jacques Barbié (fl.c1755–1779) (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1868-0822-7757), after the sculpture of Voltaire by Jean Antoine Houdon (1741–1828) and after the battle scene drawing, “Il monte: il a déjà de ses mains triomphantes..”, by Gravelot (aka Hubert François Bourguignon Gravelot) (1699–1773) (see https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.58344.html). Note that Augustin de Saint-Aubin (1736–1807) made a similar print sixteen years after this mezzotint, but in the reverse direction and without the battle scene (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1900-1231-199).

Mezzotint with etching printed in a brown-black ink on laid paper trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline with loss of publication details and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 21.5 x 13.4 cm.

Inscribed in plate below the battle scene: “Il monte, il a déj[à] de ses mains triomphantes,/ Arboré de ses lys les Enseignes Flotantes. Henriade Ch. VI” ([transl.] He ascends, he already has with his triumphant hands, / Emblazoned with his lilies the Floating Ensigns. Henriade Ch. VI).

LeBlanc 108 (Ch. Leblanc 1888, “Manuel de l'amateur d'estampes, contenant un dictionnaire des graveurs de toutes les nations: ouvrage destiné à faire suite au Manuel du libraire par J.Ch. Brunet”, vol. 2, Paris, p. 334, cat. no. 108).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “Portrait of Voltaire, head and shoulder in profile to left, nude, and wearing no wig, in oval frame surmounting a scene from ‘L'Henriade’ showing Henri IV victorious at the siege of Paris (canto VI). 1783/ Mezzotint” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1901-1022-939).

Condition: a strong impression trimmed around the image borderline with no tears, holes or folds or significant stains and laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins.

I am selling this visually eye-catching portrait of the great writer of the French Enlightenment accompanied by an illustration to a few lines from his epic poem “La Henriade” (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henriade), for AU$257 in total (currently/approximately US$174.40/EUR159.86/GBP134.26 at the time of posting this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$257) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this very fine and beautiful mezzotint, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold