Adolphe Appian, “Le Port de Monaco”, 1873

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

“Le Port de Monaco”, 1873, a first state (lifetime) impression before lettering for publication in “L'Eau-Forte en 1874”.

Etching with plate tone on heavy wove paper with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 30 x 38cm; (plate) 16 x 23.9cm; (image borderline) 13.2 x 21.1cm.

Inscribed in plate: (upper left corner) “APPIAN 187[3]”.

State i (of ii) before lettering for publication.

Curtis & Prouté 36 i (Atherton Cutiis & Paul Prouté 1968, “Adolphe Appian son Oeuvre Gravé et Lithographié”, Paris, Paul Prouté, [n.p.] cat. no. 36 i); Jennings 32 (Herbert H Jennings 1925, Adolphe Appian (essay) in “Print Collector’s Quarterly,” vol. 12, no. 1, p. 115, cat. no. 32 [see https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/print_collectors_quarterly1925/0134/scroll [scroll to find the page 115]).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “View of the port of Monaco: a flotilla of boats at left, stationed near the port, beyond at left, a hill with buildings at the top; first state. 1873” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1876-0708-14 [inv. 1876,0708.14]).

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 near faultless, richly inked and well-printed impression with generously wide margins. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, stains or signs of handling

I am selling this rare first-state impression before lettering with title and publication details, for the total cost of AU $335 (currently US $207.80/ EUR 200.75/ GBP 166.03 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 $335) 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.

This print has been sold