Adolphe Appian, “Environs de Lyon (Large Plate)”, 1879

Adolphe Appian (aka Jacques Barhelemy `Adolphe` Appian), (1818–1898)

“Environs de Lyon (Large Plate)”, 1879, after a painting by Adolphe Appian exhibited in the Salon of 1879, published in Paris by the widow of Alfred Cadart (1828–1875) (Veuve A. Cadart [fl.1875-1882]) as plate 21 to “L'Eau-Forte en 1880”.

Etching with dot roulette and plate tone on heavy cream laid paper with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 28.7 x 35.9 cm; (plate) 20.1 x 27.9 cm; (image borderline) 14.2 x 23.5 cm.

Lettered and numbered in plate above the image borderline: (centre) “Salon de 1879.”; (right) “21.”

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline: (upper right corner) “APPIAN/ 1879”.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “A. Appian, pinx. et sculp.”; (centre) “ENVIRONS DE LYON”; (right) “V^ve A. Cadart, Edit. Imp. 56, B^ard, Haussmann, Paris.”

State ii (of ii) with the addition of lettering for publication.

Curtis & Prouté 56 ii (Atherton Cutiis & Paul Prouté 1968, “Adolphe Appian son Oeuvre Gravé et Lithographié”, Paris, Paul Prouté, [n.p.] cat. no. 56 ii); Jennings 52 (Herbert H Jennings 1925, Adolphe Appian (essay) in “Print Collector’s Quarterly,” vol. 12, no. 1, p. 116, cat. no. 56 [see https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/print_collectors_quarterly1925/0134/scroll]).

In Hamerton’s 1876 edition of “Etching and Etchers”, Hamerton offers the following interesting insights about Appian’s prints: “…his [Appian’s] work is that each plate, however large or however small it may be, is conceived from the first as a whole, and the first conception is never departed from for the disproportionate realisation of some obtrusive detail.” Going further, “…Appian sees always in masses, and gives quite as much detail as is consistent with the preservation of the mass” (pp. 202–03).

Condition: a richly inked, strong and well-printed impression with generous margins. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds or significant stains.

I am selling this poetically dark etching where close examination reveals figures barely visible in the dense shadows blanketing a quayside path beside steam and sailboats, for the total cost of AU$315 (currently US$216.60/EUR193.84/GBP161.73 at the time of 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$315) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this very beautiful etching executed by an artist with a strong personal vision of his surroundings and a close connection with the Barbizon School, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.