Edwin Landseer’s etching, “The Traveller’s Rest”, 1825

Edwin Landseer (aka Sir Edwin Henry Landseer) (1802–1873)

“The Traveller’s Rest”, 1825, published in 1848 in London by Ernest Gambart & Co. (1814–1902) as plate 8 in the limited-edition folio, “Etchings by Edwin Landseer: 1822–1848”, printed from the original plates by Gambart with Landseer's permission with the publisher’s blind stamp.

Note: The Wellcome Collection describes this etching as being after Landseer, but this attribution is incorrect as shown by the catalogue entry for this print in the Algernon Graves’s (1900) catalogue of Landseer’s prints, p. 8, cat. no. 96, that this etching is by the hand of Landseer: https://archive.org/details/catalogueofexhib00grav/page/8/mode/2up.

Regarding the publication of this and the other plates executed by the hand of Landseer, Emma Chambers (2018) in “An Indolent and Blundering Art?: The Etching Revival and the Redefinition of Etching in England” (Abingdon, Routledge) cites a comment by the collector, John Sheepshanks, to Gott (4 December 1826, Gott Papers, Brotherton Library, Leeds University, 6/115): “I am trying hard to prevail upon Landseer to publish his own etchings, & hope to succeed …” (chapter 4, f.n. 18). Fortunately, Sheepshanks prevailed in his mission as Chambers points out: “Sheepshanks owned Landseer's etching plates; a few impressions of these were taken in the 1820s, and the etchings were eventually published in an edition of 375 by Gambart in 1848” (ibid).

Etching with drypoint on chine collé (China) on wove paper with the publisher’s (Ernest Gambart & Co.) blindstamp in the margin, backed by a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 25.5 x 23.4 cm; (plate) 8.4 x 12.3 cm; (chine collé) 8.2 x 12.2 cm.

Inscribed on plate: (upper right corner) “No. 8”; (lower right) “The Traveller’s rest”.

Blindstamp in lower margin: (centre) “E. GAMBART & Co./ LONDON”.

Graves 1900 96 (Algernon Graves 1900, “Catalogue of an exhibition of the engraved works of the late Sir Edwin Landseer …”, [exhib. cat.], London, Graves [Messrs. Henry] & Co., p. 8, cat. no. 96).

Condition: superbly printed impression in near pristine condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions, stains or signs of use) laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this exceptionally rare etching—note that even the British Museum does not hold a copy of this etching—executed by the hand of one of the best known of the 19^th century English artists for AU$280 in total (currently US$178.02/EUR162.39/GBP141.54 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 sensitively rendered study of a Scottish highlander in traditional tartan regalia resting beside his hound, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.