Charles-André van Loo, “An Entombment”, 1742–43

Charles-André van Loo (aka Carle Vanloo; Carle Van Loo; Charles Wanloo) (1705–1765)

“An Entombment” (NGA title) (aka “An ‘Académie’: One Man Lifting the Legs of Another Man” [MET title]), 1742–43, from the series, “Six Figures Académiques” (see the title plate [frontispiece] to the series held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/385738).

Etching on laid paper with a narrow margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 29.2 x 40.2 cm; (plate) 28.6 x 39.8 cm; (image borderline) 27.6 x 38.7 cm.

Lifetime impression of state i (of iii) before the addition of the publication details for Veuve Chéreau (aka Geneviève Marguerite Chéreau) (fl.1755–1782) of the second state and the “reinforced”/darkening of the shadows “to black” in the third and final state (Baudicour [1861]).

Baudicour 6 (Prosper de Baudicour 1861, “Le peintre-graveur français continué ou catalogue raisonné des estampes gravées par les peintres et les dessinateurs de l'école française nés dans le XVIIIe siècle, ouvrage faisant suite au peintre-graveur français de Robert Dumesnil”, vol. 2, Paris, p. 108, cat. no. 6); Sahut 631.184.

Prosper de Baudicour (1861) offers the following description of this print: (transl.) “Man seen from the back, to the right, turned to the left, with his right knee in the ground and holding the legs of a dead man lying behind him and occupying the entire width of the print; on the left, we see two tombs dug in the stone. In the 3ª state, the shadows carried are reinforced and pushed to black” (p. 108).  

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art (Washington) offer descriptions of this print: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/395434; https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.161678.html—note that the NGA has given the incorrect catalogue number for Baudicour; the reference should be “Baudicour 6”.  

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed impression with a narrow margin with replenished chips on the edge laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing generously wide margins. Beyond the restored margin chips, the sheet is in an excellent condition with no holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains.

I am selling this large etching exemplifying the interest of the French Académie at the time in studies of the male nude—mindful that the Académie was created in 1635 (108 years before this print was executed) ultimately leading to the creation of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1795 (52 years after this print)—for AU$337 in total (currently US$222.18/EUR203.07/GBP173.68 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$337) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this spectacular study of two male nudes with what must be a very interesting story behind the scene—I just wish that I knew so that I could relax with a coffee and one of those lovely cream eclairs—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