Eugène Bléry's etching, “Le Tronc de Hêtre à Fontainebleau”, 1845

Eugène Bléry (aka Alexandre Stanislas Eugène Bléry) (1805–1887)

“Le Tronc de Hêtre à Fontainebleau” (The beech trunk at Fontainebleau), 1845, plate 1 from the series of eight etchings, “Huit eaux-fortes gravées sur nature par Eugène Bléry” (Eight etchings engraved on nature by Eugène Bléry) (Beraldi 1885–92 48–55).

Etching on light grey chine collé (China paper) on wove paper with full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 35.8 x 27.6 cm; (chine colllé) 17.4 x 12.6 cm; (plate) 17.1 x 12.3 cm.

Inscribed on plate below the image borderline: (left) “EBlery sc.t sur nature F.eau”; (centre) “1”; (right) “aqua forti A.1845”.

Beraldi 1885–92 48 (Henri Beraldi 1885, “Les graveurs du 19e siècle; guide de l'amateur d'estampes modernes”, vol. 2, Paris, L. Conquet, p. 108); IFF 53 (Département des Estampes 1930, “Inventaire du Fonds, Français: graveurs du XVIIe siècle”, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale).

Archive.org offers an online view of Beraldi’s description of this print including Bléry’s other prints: (transl.) “It is a large hollow trunk that divides in two and leans to the left”; see

https://archive.org/details/lesgraveursdu19e02berauoft/page/108/mode/2up/search/Eug%C3%A8ne+Bl%C3%A9ry.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“View of Fontainebleau: landscape with in the centre foreground an old beech tree. 1845”

(https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3287558&partId=1&people=132133&peoA=132133-2-60&page=1).

See also the brief description offered by the Indianapolis Museum of Art:

http://collection.imamuseum.org/artwork/75210/.

Condition: a superb impression that is richly inked and well-printed—the lower right margin edge of the chine collé is slightly ruffled—with generous margins. The sheet is in excellent condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions, stains, foxing or significant signs of use).

I am selling this small and remarkably beautiful etching—an exquisite print exemplifying Bléry’s skills in rendering three-dimensional form and textures with dramatic intensity—that is the first plate in his series of views around Fontainebleau (France), for AU$278 in total (currently US$187.65/EUR170.52/GBP144.24 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 this graphically powerful etching of a seemingly angst-ridden gnarled tree trunk, 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