James Squire Morgan, “The Lakeside”, 1923

James Squire Morgan (1886–1974) —an Australian artist born in Sydney, who studied under Sydney Long (1871–1955)

“The Lakeside”, 1923 —a period when Morgan concentrated heavily on the hinterland of regional New South Wales lagoons and northern beaches (including Dee Why)

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with plate tone delicately wiped to draw the ink from the lines to add richness—a technique known as retroussage. It is printed in dark brown ink on fine buff-coloured laid paper. The hand-signed by the artist in pencil in the lower right margin and hand-numbered “38/80” in pencil at the lower left. 

Note: While this specific impression is clearly numbered from an intended edition of 80, the National Gallery of Australia’s database records an alternate intended edition size of 50; see https://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/works/13246/.

The impression is richly inked and near faultless. The impression is in excellent condition, free of tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, or handling marks.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 38.3 x 27.5 cm
• Platemark: 22.5 x 17.5 cm

References:

• National Gallery of Australia (NGA): The print database holds an exhaustive archive documenting eighty-nine of Morgan’s prints accessible via the NGA Artist Index—https://www.printsandprintmaking.gov.au/artists/11497/works/  
• Roger Butler, “Printed Images in Australia: Century of Printmaking 1801-1901”, National Gallery of Australia Archives (for institutional context on the artist's print portfolio)
• The Australian Painter-Etchers' Society, Annual Exhibition Catalogues (1920s–1930s), wherein Morgan regularly exhibited comparable native tree and lakeside studies
• Art Gallery of New South Wales, “Australian Etchings & Engravings 1880s–1930s”, Sydney, Curatorial Records (referencing the stylistic lineage of Sydney Long's students)

Price & Shipping:

AU$588 (approximately US$405.13 / €355.46 / £306.17), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

To acquire this poetically atmospheric etching—where one can truly sense the stillness of the shoreline and the crispness of the open air—please contact oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. Secure payment is handled via PayPal invoice for a smooth, protected transaction.

James Watson, “The Revd. Mr Zachariah Mudge, Prebend of Exeter”, 1765, after Joshua Reynolds

James Watson (1730? –1790)

“The Revd. Mr Zachariah Mudge, Prebend of Exeter”, 1765

Edward Hamilton (1874) gives the following insights about the Reverend Zachariah Mudge: “Prebendary of Exeter; Vicar of St. Andrew's, Plymouth; author of an ingenious Essay for a New Version of the Psalms. Reynolds' earliest friend.” (p. 40; see digitised copy via Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/catalogueraisonn00hamiiala/page/40/mode/2up)

Technical Details & Condition:

Mezzotint on fine 18th-century French laid paper. The sheet features a classic Auvergne countermarked structure: one half of the sheet bears the “T [Bell-Tower symbol] DUPUY FIN” watermark of the famous Thomas Dupuy paper mill, while the corresponding half displays the regional countermark “AUVERGNE 1742”. While the watermark bears the mandatory tax year of 1742, the paper itself dates between 1742 and the late 1780s due to prolonged regional use of the 1742 mould layout.

This sheet survives with generous full margins well beyond the platemark. This publication state was issued in London between 1765 and 1766 by the publishers Ryland & Bryer (William Wynne Ryland and Henry Bryer), after the celebrated oil portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792).

The impression is strong, deep, and well-printed, beautifully retaining the rich, velvety black tones characteristic of a fresh mezzotint plate. Aside from minor, professional spot-touches to tiny dot breaks within the deep velvety areas of the mezzotint, the sheet is in very good condition—completely free of tears, folds, significant stains, or handling marks.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 39.9 x 31.5 cm
• Platemark: 33.2 x 23 cm
• Image borderline: 28.1 x 23 cm

In-Plate Lettering (below the image borderline):

• Left: “Reynolds pinx^t.”
• Centre: “The Rev^d_ʺ M^r_ʺ Zachariah Mudge, Prebend of Exeter &c.&c. / Sold by Ryland & Bryer at the Kings Arms Cornhill.”
• Right: “Watson fecit.”

References:

• Edward Hamilton, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Engraved Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A., London, P & D Colnaghi and Co.: 1874 edition, p. 40 (for biographical details; see digitised copy via Internet Archive); see also the expanded 1884 edition, p. 52, state III
• Gordon Goodwin, “British Mezzotinters: Thomas Watson, James Watson and Elizabeth Judkins”, 1904, London, A H Bullen, pp. 81-208
• British Museum: Museum No. 1902,1011.6475 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1902-1011-6475)

Price & Shipping:

AU$267 (approximately US$183,72 / €161.05 / £138.72), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

To acquire this magnificent mezzotint—please contact oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. Secure payment is handled via PayPal invoice for a smooth, protected transaction.

Adolphe Appian (born Jacques Barthélemy Appian) (1818–1898)

“Les Sources de l’Albarine (Ain)” or “The Springs of the Albarine (Ain)”, 1870

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with delicate plate tone printed in dark brown ink on fine laid paper with small margins. This is an impression from the fifth and final state (Curtis & Prouté v/v) following the reduction of the copper plate. While the plate width was reduced from its initial size of approximately 43.8 cm down to 36.9 cm, comparison with early states shows that the internal image and borderline detail remain untouched; the reduction physically removed the wide plate margins that previously held the publication lettering. This print is after Appian’s own oil painting, Source de l'Albarine en Automne, which was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1870.

The impression is richly inked and beautifully printed, maintaining crisp clarity in the dense foliage and reflection lines. Aside from two minuscule pinholes in the outer margin (likely inherent paper flaws from production) and a tiny brown spot in the lower margin, the sheet is in excellent condition—completely free of tears, folds, abrasions, significant stains, or handling marks.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 22.8 x 39.8 cm
• Platemark (soft): 20.5 x 36.9 cm
• Image borderline: 19.4 x 30 cm

In-Plate Lettering:

• Upper left corner: “APPIA[N] / 1870”

References:

• Curtis & Prouté 29 v (Atherton Cutiis & Paul Prouté, “Adolphe Appian: son Œuvre Gravé et Lithographié”, Paris, Paul Prouté, 1968, cat. no. 29, state v)
• Jennings 26 (Herbert H. Jennings, "Adolphe Appian", The Print Collector’s Quarterly, vol. 12, no. 1, 1925, p. 115, cat. no. 26) — Digital copy viewable via the Heidelberg University Library (https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/print_collectors_quarterly1925/0134/scroll)
• Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET): Accession No. 63.704.10—Note: The Met holds a third state copy (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/690949)
• British Museum: Museum No. 1873,0510.3454—Note: The British Museum holds a first state copy (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1873-0510-3454)

Price & Shipping:

AU$332 (approximately US$228.89/ €200.94 / £173.34), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

To acquire this large and luminous impression—showcasing the mature printmaking skills of an artist central to the 19th-century etching revival and deeply aligned with the Barbizon School—please contact oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. Secure payment is handled via PayPal invoice for a smooth, protected transaction.

This print has been sold