Karel Dujardin’s etching of two sleeping hunting dogs

Karel Dujardin (aka Karel Du Jardin; Carel Dujardin; Carel du Jardin; Bokkebaart) (1626–78)

“Les Chiens” (sleeping dogs), 1641–78

Etching on fine laid paper signed in the plate (upper right) with small margins.

Size: (sheet) 15.9 x 15.9 cm; (plate) 14.9 x 13.5 cm; (image borderline) 14.5 x 13.2 cm

State iii (of iii)

Inscribed at top right: "K. D.V. I. fe" with the number “5” at lower-right corner

Hollstein 5.III (Hollstein, F W H, “Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts c.1450-1700”, Amsterdam, 1949); Bartsch I.167.5 (Bartsch, Adam, “Le Peintre graveur”, 21 vols, Vienna, 1803); Bartsch 5.1, (1978, p. 175)

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Two hunting dogs asleep, one with legs extended, the other curled up, a fence behind them, hunting gear including a decoy bird in a cage in right background” (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1615047&partId=1&searchText=dujardin+dogs&page=1)

Condition: delicate, crisp impression (a slightly stronger impression than that held by the British Museum) in near pristine condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, abrasions, folds, foxing or stains) with small margins. This is a superb print on exceptionally fine laid paper.

I am selling this beautiful etching in a remarkable state of preservation for AU$158 (currently US$119.66/EUR109.62/GBP98.29 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world. If you are interested in purchasing this small etching revealing the outstanding draughtsmanship of Dujardin, 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

What I love about this print is the same attribute that I love about Lucian Freud’s etchings: the use of line to visually “feel” the form of the subject.

For instance, when I look at the use of line to render the foreground dog, I can see how Dujardin has softened the silhouette edge of the dog’s neck in a haptic response to the abundant hair in this area; whereas Dujardin has reduced the detail of the silhouette edge around the dog’s hips to a single extraordinarily sensitive and insightful line. There is deep knowledge about dogs and how to draw them in a meaningful way expressed in this print.