Albert Besnard (1849–1934)

“Le Turban”, 1910.

Etching in brown ink on cream laid paper with margins (as published)

Size: (sheet) 30.5 x 22.2 cm; (plate) 24 x 18 cm

Inscribed below the borderline: (left) “A. Besnard inv. et sc. / Revue de l’Art ancient et modern”; (centre) “LE TURBAN”; (right) "Imp. Ch. Wittmann”

Condition: richly inked and well printed impression in near pristine condition and bound as published in “La Revue de L’Art: Ancien et Moderne” no. 157—Tome XXVII, 14 e année, 10 Avril 1910, Paris, p.256 (insert). The publication is presently held together by a thread and will undoubtedly fall apart very soon. Despite this lack of integrity in the binding, the pages are in good condition for their age.

I am selling this original etching by Besnard bound within the publication (“La Revue de L’Art: Ancien et Moderne”) for AU$338 (currently US$228.32/EUR208.05/GBP185.03 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this (French language) publication with the etching bound within it, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Besnard’s role as the director of the L’École des Beaux-Arts helped to instigate a change in the rigidly formal French academic style. One contributing factor to this change was his interest in Chinese paintings. Of particular interest to Besnard were the paintings of Liu Haisu. Besnard was so fascinated by this artist’s paintings that he even arranged for Liu Haisu to have his paintings exhibited at the Salon des Tuileries along with a solo exhibition.

For those who may be wondering how Besnard was able to communicate with Liu Haisu, the answer is simple: Besnard had the service of arts writer and Chinese interpreter, Fou Lei. Fou Lei was very important in the ongoing cultural exchange between French artists and Chinese artists. He was also important for helping to introduce Western music to the Chinese as he famously translated Romanin Rolland’s biography of Beethoven into Chinese.