Frank Short, “Lucerne”, 1896, after Turner

Frank Short (aka Sir Frank Short) (1857–1945)

“Lucerne” (aka “Moonlight on the River” [BM title]), 1896, mezzotint, pencil-signed by the artist, after an unpublished drawing in the collection of the National Gallery (Henry Vaughan Bequest) by Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) for the “Liber Studiorum”.

Mezzotint printed in sanguine coloured ink, pencil-signed, on laid paper with full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 28.9 x 42.7cm; (plate) 21.7 x 29cm; (image borderline) 21.2 x 28.3cm

Inscribed with the artist’s monogram within the image borderline: (lower right corner). “S” (on shield).

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Drawn by J.M.W.Turner R.A.”; (centre) “LUCERNE From an Unpublished Drawing for the Liber Studiorum in possession of Henry Vaughan Esq”; (right) “Engraved by F. Short 1896.”

Published lettered state with the artist’s monogram.

Hardie 42 (Martin Hardie 1938, “The Liber Studiorium Mezzotints of Sir Frank Short after J.M.W. Turner, R.A.”, London, The Print Collector’s Club, pp. 73-4, cat. no. 42).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “The sky with moon above dominates image; to left and right on the banks of a river, a town, connected by a bridge; in the foreground, a crowd and boats, right of centre. 1896/ Mezzotint” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1901-0424-13 [BM inv. no. 1901,0424.13]).

Condition: a well-printed impression in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains—note, however, that the low edge is darkened and there are pencil notations along this lower edge.

I am selling this pencil-signed, moonlit scene executed in glowing mezzotint showing the famous wooden footbridge—the Kapellbrücke or Chapel Bridge—spanning the river Reuss in Lucerne (Switzerland), for AU$397 (currently US$257.52/ EUR244.13/ GBP203.38 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$397) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this very rare mezzotint with the interesting note in Hardie’s catalogue raisonné (1938) by W.G. Rawlinson that Turner’s drawing that this print reproduces is “very slight in its execution” and may be one of the last drawings “made by Turner for the Liber [Studiorium]” (see p. 73), please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.