Claude Lorrain’s etching, “The Two Landscapes”, c1630 (second copy)

Claude Lorrain (aka Claude Gellée; Le Lorrain; Claudio di Lorena) (1600–1682)

“The Two Landscapes” [Les Deux Paysages], c.1630, printed from the original plate, trimmed as two separate prints and published in 1816 by J. McCreery in the “200 Etchings” folio.

Etching on tissue thin laid (China) paper, trimmed as separate images (as published) and backed on a support sheet.

Size: (left sheet trimmed unevenly) 5.6 x 4 cm; (right sheet trimmed unevenly) 5.6 x 5.1 cm.

Signed on plate below the image borderline at the right corner of the right print, but too fragmented to be meaningful. In earlier states the inscription showed “CL. Inv.” (see the BM no. 1973,U.641)

State iii (of iii)

Robert-Dumesnil 40; Blum 42; Knab 114; Duplessis 42; Russell 6; Mannocci 4

The curator of the British Museum advises: “These sketches were etched on the back of a plate”

(http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1346419&partId=1&searchText=claude+lorrain+etching&page=2).

Regarding the plate for these studies (and the others printed by McCreery, Andrew Brink (2013) in “Ink and Light: The Influence of Claude Lorrain’s Etching on England” (McGill Queen’s University Press) offers the following insight:

“The plates of Claude’s etchings disappeared without trace as mysteriously as they had first come to London” (p. 74). From my very unreliable memory, I recall being told in a chat with a “knowledgeable friend” who was told by another “knowledgeable friend” that the plates were discovered as wrecked ballast on a ship (but this information may be far from the truth as my memory is far from strong).

Condition: faultless but trimmed impressions in excellent condition. The two landscape are fragments of a larger single print (see BM no. 1973,U.641) laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

Note: I have showcased these compositions from the same edition previously, but that pair of prints has been sold.

I am selling these very early notational compositions by one of the most famous of all landscape artists for AU$340 (currently US$233.71/EUR211.81/GBP178.78 at the time of posting 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 these original tiny landscapes by Lorrain, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

These prints have been sold