Louis Marin Bonnet's crayon-manner engraving, “Jupiter et Danae”, 1774

Louis Marin Bonnet (1736-1793)

“Jupiter et Danae”, 1774, crayon-manner engraving—the technique invented by the Louis Marin Bonnet—printed in colour (black, blue and sanguine) after François Boucher (1703–1770), proof impression (first state of three) before lettering with title and publication details.

Crayon-manner engraving printed in black, blue and sanguine colours (i.e. the impression is not directly hand-coloured but rather by the colour applied to the roulette stippled printing plate—a novel printing technique invented by Bonnet to reproduce the texture and colour of crayon/pastel drawings), on laid paper backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 38.7 x 48.4 cm; (plate) 33 x 41.5 cm; (image borderline) 29.5 x 39.5 cm.

State i (of iii) before lettering.

The National Gallery (London) has a second state impression with the lettered title and publication details ("JUPITER ET DANAÉ/ Gravé d'après le Dessin de F. boucher, par L. Bonnet, Gratifié Pensionné du Roi pour l'invention de la Gravure au Paste. A Paris, chez Bonnet rue St. Jacques au coin de celle du Platre"):

https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.131387.html

Hérold 1935 28 (Jacques Herold 1935, “Louis-Marin BONNET. Catalogue de l'oeuvre gravé”, Paris, Rousseau, cat. no. 28); Jean-Richard 1978 354 i (iii) (P Jean-Richard 1978, “L'Oeuvre gravé de François Boucher dans la collection Edmond de Rothschild”, Paris, Musée du Louvre, cat. no. 354).

Condition: well-printed museum-quality impression, but with restoration to a line of abrasion on Danae’s leg (almost invisible) and minor restored breaks in the borderline. The sheet is in excellent condition for its considerable age (i.e. there are no holes, folds, losses, significant stains or foxing) and is laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this large first state, lifetime impression of the utmost rarity exemplifying the technical advance in colour printing using the crayon-manner (i.e. a stipple roulette tool rolled over the printing plate to duplicate crayon-like textures) devised by Bonnet, for AU$647 in total (currently US$454.07/EUR404.85/GBP342.43 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in acquiring this exceptionally rare print, 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

Jean Léon Gérôme's etching, “Le Fumeur Égyptien”, c.1865

Jean Léon Gérôme (1824-1904)

“Le Fumeur Égyptien” (The Egyptian Smoker), c.1865, proof impression before lettering for publication in “La Gazette des Beaux-Arts” in 1868.

Etching with drypoint on grey chine collé (China) on fine laid paper backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 26.5 x 18.2 cm; (faint platemark) 12.7 x 10.1 cm; (chine collé) 11 x 8.5 cm.

Signed on plate in reverse at lower left: “J. L. Gerôme”.

Beraldi 1885-92 1 (Henri Béraldi [1885–1892], “Les graveurs du 19e siècles: guide de l'amateur d'estampes modernes”, Paris); IFF 3 (Bibliothèque Nationale, Départment des Estampes 1939–, “Inventaire du Fonds Français: Graveurs du XVIIe siècle”, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Egyptian man seen half-length, facing front, smoking a long pipe; proof before letter

Etching on chine collé”.

(https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3367849&partId=1&searchText=Le+fumeur+%25u00e9gyptien&page=1)

See also the description offered by The Art of the Print:

http://www.artoftheprint.com/artistpages/gerome_jean_leon_lefumeuregyptien.htm

This is the second etching by Gérôme that I have listed; see the earlier post focused on “La Mort de César”: https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2019/06/jean-leon-geromes-etching-la-mort-de.html

Condition: faultless impression with generous margins in pristine condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of use). The sheet laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this jewel-like impression of the highest quality for AU$396 in total (currently US$277.70/EUR247.76/GBP211.63 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in acquiring this sensitively executed etching by the “key exponent of Orientalism in nineteenth-century France” (BM bibl. Gérôme), 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

Henri Patrice Dillon's lithograph, “Young woman holding a closed fan with butterflies signalling 1900”, c.1900

Henri Patrice Dillon (1850–1909)

“Young woman holding a closed fan with butterflies signalling 1900” (descriptive title only), c.1900, published by J Reullier et Perronne (fl.1890s) (as inscribed on the stone), possibly a proof-state impression before formal lettering with publication details.

Lithograph (crayon and crachis stencil) printed in cool black ink on heavy wove paper and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 54.9 x 38.7 cm; (image borderline) 46.8 x 33.5 cm.

Inscribed on stone: (upper left on butterflies) “1990”; (upper centre) “offert par/ MAISON”; (upper right) “J Reullier/ Perronne”; (lower left) “hp. DilloN”.

Ref: Émmanuel Bénézit 1966, “Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs", vol. 3, Paris, Librairie Grund, p. 272.

See also the marvellous insights about this artist offered by Art of the Print who draw attention to the advice of E Benezit (1966) that “all of Henri Patrice Dillon's original lithographs were printed in very small numbers”

(http://www.artoftheprint.com/artistpages/dillon_henri_patrice_shadows.htm).

Condition: strong impression with a closed tear in the lower margin otherwise in an excellent condition (i.e. there are no holes, folds, losses, abrasions, significant stains or foxing), laid onto a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this large and exceptionally rare lithograph—this print is not in the collection of any of the major museums—for AU$390 in total (currently US$272.71/EUR243.53/GBP208.01 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in acquiring this marvellous original lithograph from the joyous period in Paris—La Belle Époque—where posters like this adorned sidewalk "chocolate kiosques"—indeed this poster may even have been designed as an advertisement for the Menier Chocolate company’s kiosks based on my understanding of the text inscribed at the top—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

Félix-Elie Regamey's etching, “Le Bal de L'Opéra vu de L’Amphithéatre”, 1873

Félix-Elie Regamey (1844–1907)

“Le Bal de L'Opéra vu de L’Amphithéatre” (The opera ball seen from the amphitheatre), 1873, illustration to page 41 of Richard Lesclide’s (1825–1892), “Paris à L'Eau-Forte”, No. 6 (?), published in 1873 in Paris by Alfred Cadart (1828–1875) and printed in an edition of 100 copies by Auguste Delâtre (aka Auguste Marie Delâtre) (1822–1907).

Etching on fine wove paper (China) trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline (as published in an edition of 100 impressions) and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 13.8 x 8.7 cm; (image borderline) 13 x 7.9 cm.

Signed by the artist on plate within the image borderline at lower right corner.

Condition: an excellent strong impression, trimmed with small margins around the image borderline as published. There are replenished chips to the margins and the sheet is laid onto a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this small and unusual etching featuring a bird’s-eye view looking through blazingly bright chandeliers to the action on a ballroom below, for AU$197 in total (currently US$137.54/EUR123.02/GBP105.16 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in acquiring this curiously wonderful etching executed at the time in Paris when interest in the effects of light and Japanese prints was at its peak, 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

Benigno Bossi's etching, “Allegory of Time”, 1785

Benigno Bossi (1727–1792)

“Allegory of Time” (aka “Dance of Death”), 1785, showing the personification of Death and Time guiding an old man to his grave that is inscribed on the headstone with the Latin epitaph: “Fumus, [U]mbra, Nihil” (Smoke, Shadow, Nothing).

Etching on laid paper, trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline.

Size: (sheet) 15.7 x 9.5 cm; (image borderline) 14.2 x 8.5 cm.

Inscribed on plate: (upper edge at centre) “PARMAE/ MD CC LXXXV”; (on headstone at lower left) “FUMUS/ VMBRA/ NIHIL”; (lower right corner) “Bossi.”

Note: I have been unable to find this print in the collection any of the major museums.

Condition: richly inked and well-printed, faultless impression, trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline and in pristine condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of use).

I am selling this small and exceptionally rare etching expressing the notion of memento mori (i.e. the inevitability of death)—note the personified figures of Death and Time guiding an old man in his birthday suit to his grave and the vanitas symbolism of the abandoned book (knowledge), coins (wealth), a medal (valour), a smoking oil lamp (life) and a globe (worldly concerns)—for AU$317 in total (currently US$229.58/EUR212.52/GBP178.87 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this remarkable etching that is rich with symbolism, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.