Jules Jacquemart’s etching of a rock crystal cup with a scalloped rim

Jules Jacquemart (aka Jules Ferdinand Jacquemart) (1837–80)

Plate 41: “Jatt de Crystal de Roche” [EL] or “Drageoir de Cristal de Roche” [BM], 1864, from the series “Gemmes et Joyaux de la Couronne au Musée du Louvre”, printed by Auguste Delâtre (1822–1907) and published by Henry Barbet de Jouy

Etching with plate/surface tone on laid paper with full margins (as published).

Size: (sheet) 54.5 x 37 cm; (plate) 38.8 x 28 cm; (image borderline) 34 x 26.6 cm

Inscribed within the image (lower centre) “Jules Jacquemart delin. & sculp.”

Lettered above the image (upper left corner) “PL. 41”; (upper centre) “MUSÉE DU LOUVRE.”

Lettered below the image (centre) “Imp. Delȃtre, Paris.”

To see the complete series see Elizabeth Legge gallery: http://www.leggeprints.com/jacquemart/index.htm

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

"A rock crystal cup with scalloped rim. 1864 Etching, with surface tone." (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3533107&partId=1&searchText=Jules+Jacquemart+crystal&page=1)

Gonse 146.II (Gonse, Louis, “Jules Jacquemart”, Gazette des Beaux-Arts)

Condition: large, superb impression in near pristine condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, abrasions, folds or foxing, but there are a couple of small spots) with generous margins.

I am selling this remarkable illustration of a rock crystal cup from the Louvre collection for AU$118 (currently US$87.75/EUR82.62/GBP70.40 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world. If you are interested in purchasing this large etching of the highest order of technical skill, 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

This is the third illustration by Jacquemart that I have posted of objects in the Louvre collection. This particular image is probably the ultimate display of virtuosity that one can find. It is a standalone visual statement of the remarkable skill of the top illustrators from the 19^th century.

Jacquemart is arguably the finest illustrator of still life objects in terms of using only line (i.e. without blocks of tone or colour) to render the subtle differences of surface texture, opacity and sheen separating crystal, stone and metal. Not only was Jacquemart able to convincingly represent each material, but he was also able to suggest the delicacy and the weight of each object.

To fully appreciate what makes an artist like Jacquemart a true master of his craft, one only has to examine the way that he has drawn the rim of this cup and see how he has phrased the strength of the line from strong and dark in the foreground to delicate and faint further back. Moreover, even within each scalloped curve, he has varied the strength of the line.