Seymour Haden’s drypoint, “Windmill Hill, No. 2”, 1877

Francis Seymour Haden (aka Sir Francis Seymour Haden; H Dean [used for RA exhibitions]) (1818–1910)

“Windmill Hill, No. 2”, 1877, pencil signed by the artist at lower right.

According to The Fitzwilliam Museum’s (2018) exhibition essay, “Amateur Artist of Distinction: Prints by Francis Seymour Haden” (see https://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/sites/default/files/exhibitions/Amateur%20Etcher%20of%20Distinction.pdf):

“Windmill Hill is the name of a high common near Swanage. This is one of 17 plates executed in a fortnight during a stay at Newton Manor in Dorset with a fellow amateur artist and collector, Sir John Charles Robinson (1824-1913), who also produced etchings done on the spot of the same landscape” (p. 110).

Drypoint printed in a warm-black ink on cream laid paper.

Size: (sheet) 19.6 x 29.9 cm; (plate) 15 x 22.5 cm.

Signed in plate, at lower left: "Seymour Haden/ 1877".

Signed in graphite, at lower right below the platemark: "Seymour Haden".

State iv (of v) with final modifications to the image before the plate is cancelled in the final state (e.g. “Some of the previous work on trees at upper left removed and their outlines redrawn with diagonal strokes” [Schneiderman 153 IV]).

Schneiderman 153 (Richard S Schneiderman 1983, “A Catalogue Raisonné of the Prints of Sir Francis Seymour Haden”, Wiltshire, Robin Garton Ltd, p. 317, cat. no. 153 IV); Harrington 164 (Henry Nazeby Harrington 1910, “The Engraved Work of Sir Francis Seymour Haden, P.R.E.: an illustrated and descriptive catalogue”, Liverpool, H. Young and Sons, cat. no. 164).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“A heath with small bushes at centre, in the foreground; trees seen in the background”

(https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1573345&partId=1&searchText=seymour+haden+Windmill&page=1).

See also the description of this print at the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/705021?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Haden+windmill+hill&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=10.

Condition: richly inked and faultless impression with margins in near pristine condition considering the age of the print (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of use—apart from pencil notations by previous collectors and a faint collector’s stamp verso).

I am selling this superb, museum quality, pencil signed masterpiece of drypoint by arguably one of the finest printmakers of the nineteenth century for AU$510 in total (currently US$341.51/EUR316/GBP263 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 exceptionally beautiful drypoint of the rugged terrain near Swanage (South West England) rendered with loose—almost calligraphic—velvety strokes of richly inked burred lines, 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