Charles Emile Jacque’s etching, “The Pater Familias”, 1844, after Adriaen van Ostade

Charles Émile Jacque (aka Charles Jacque; Charles-Emile Jacque) (1813–1894) and/or Léon Subercaze (fl.1845–1849)

Note that the curator of the British Museum advises: “The lettering identifies the etcher as Charles Jacque, but Beraldi notes that several prints engraved after Tiepolo, Ostade, Chardin and Jeanron and ‘signed’ by Jacque are actually by Subercaze.” (see BM No. 1889,0608.292)

“The Pater Familias”, 1844, after Adriaen van Ostade (1610-1685), published in “L'Artiste”, 1844.

Etching on chine collé on thick wove paper lined onto a conservator’s support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 25 x 21.5 cm; (plate) 15.8 x 12.1 cm; (chine collé) 13.8 x 10 cm; (image borderline) 12.3 x 9.1 cm

Lettered above the chine collé: “L'Artiste”

Inscribed below the image borderline: “Gravé à l'eau forte par Ch. Jacque, d'après Ostade”

Inscribed within the image borderline right of centre at lower edge: “A. Ostade 1648”

Beraldi 1885-92 10 (Henri Beraldi 1885, “Les Graveurs du dix-neuvième siècle”, 12 vols plus supplement, Paris); Hollstein 33 (copy); IFF 504 (under Jacque); Bartsch I.368.33 (copy)

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“The Pater Familias, after Ostade: a humble interior with the father carefully feeding his baby, watched by his wife who holds some laundry in front of the fire-place, another child sits before a stool on the floor eating a meal, a large pot is suspended before a fire at right, a bed with a curtain beyond”

(http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3489942&partId=1&searchText=jacque+ostade+1648&page=1)

Condition: richly inked, crisp and well-printed impression with generous margins and laid upon a fine washi paper conservator’s support sheet. There is an area of thinness at the left plate edge but this issue is addressed by the support sheet and the abrasion/thinness does not impact upon the chine collé or the image; otherwise the sheet is in very good condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, stains or foxing)

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I am selling this etching after Ostade, signed by Jacque (but argued to be executed by Subercraze) for AU$161 (currently US$122.77/EUR102.86/GBP92.05 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this rare etching, 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

In my previous post I lightly discussed the sensitivity of Léon Subercaze as a master printmaker of the 19^th century. I also bemoaned the fact that there is very little biographical detail about this fine artist. To be honest, the only detail that I can find is offered by the British Museum that Subercraze was active as a printmaker between 1845 and 1849. Although this short time span could be lengthened to 1860, as I discovered an etching by Subercaze dated “1860”, the real issue is not a quibble about dates when he flourished. Instead, it’s a quibble about ethics. Specifically, the august Henri Beraldi (1885) in “Les Graveurs du dix-neuvième siècle” is cited by the curator of the British Museum to argue that Subercaze is the true etcher of this print after Ostade and not Charles Jacque whose name is inscribed on the plate. I wish that printmakers, publishers and the gate-keepers of history were always as honest …