Armand Cassagne, "Étude de Saule", 1862

Armand Cassagne (aka Armand-Théophile Cassagne) (1823–1907)

"Étude de Saule" [willow study], 1862, from "Le Dessin pour tous. (Méthode Cassagne.) Troisième série. Étude de la figure par divers artistes. Première partie-éléments. Fr. & Eng." printed by Lemercier.

Lithograph on thick wove paper

Size: (sheet) 49.5 x 34.1 cm, (image borderline) 37.6 X 25.8 cm.

Inscribed above the upper borderline (centre): "LE DESSIN POUR TOUS MÉTHODE CASSAGNE / 3me. Partie / LE DESSIN D'APRÈS NATURE."; signed within the image by the artist and dated 1862; inscribed below the lower borderline: (left) "Librairire Classique de CH. Fouraut rue St. Andrél-des-Arts 47."; (centre) "4 / ÉTUDE DE SAULE"; (right) "Imp. Lemercier rue de Seine 57 Paris."

Condition: marvellous impression in near pristine condition with only a few small dots upper left.

I am selling this image of two willow trees seemingly engaged in a dramatic struggle for the total cost of AU$223 (currently US$149.93/EUR135.29/GBP114.07 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$223) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this superb and visually arresting lithograph, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This visually arresting study of willow trees was designed to be an illustration of natural forms that art students could copy to improve their drawing skills. It featured in a two-volume publication along with 107 other lithographs, all of which were arranged so that they could be copied in the blank spaces provided.

Cassagne's choice of this particular subject—a highly romanticised and dramatic, animistic vision of inner life within trees is not surprising as he worked in the Fontainebleau forest from 1857 to 1868 and conducted public drawing classes there. Indeed, Cassagne was so captivated by the magic of the Fontainebleau forest that he donated a large collection of his drawings and paintings of it to the Musée de Melum in order to create, in his own words: "the apotheosis of the forest of Fontainebleau."