Eugène Burnand’s drypoint, “Putti Making an Etching”, 1878

Eugène Burnand (1850–1921)

“Putti Making an Etching”, 1878, frontispiece to “L'Illustration Nouvelle par une Societe de Peintres-Graveurs a L'eau-Forte” of 1879 (Part Two: Eleventh Year, Eleventh Volume), published by Alfred Cadart (aka A. Veuve Cadart; Vve A. Cadart) (1828–1875) (by descent of the firm to Cadart’s widow) in Paris (see BnF cat. ref.: https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb426741474).

Drypoint with pale plate tone on cream laid paper.

Size: (sheet) 31 x 22.8 cm; (plate) 27.7 x 19.7 cm; (image borderline) 25.6 x 17.8 cm.

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (upper left) “I'Illustration/ Nouvelle./ 11 eme ANNÉE/ 1879.”; (lower left) “EUG. BURNAND. 78- inv x sc.”

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (centre) “Vve A. Cadart, Edit. Imp. 56, Bard Haussmann, Paris.”

The Rijksmuseum offers a description (no ill.) of this print:

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.collect.89541.

Condition: Richly inked and well-printed impression in excellent condition (i.e. there are no tears, folds, abrasions, stains or foxing). There are remnants of mounting verso.

I am selling this historically significant print exemplifying the re-emergence of etching as the purportedly preferred technique of illustration in the second half of the 19^th century during what is now termed the etching revival period showing putti acting out the various stages of executing an etching (viz. rolling the etching ground upon the plate; smoking the plate, inscribing the design; etching the plate in a bath of acid; printing the plate in a press; examining the printed outcome) for the total cost of AU$262 (currently US$168.28/EUR153.22/GBP134.69 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 amazing drypoint that is seldom seen on the art market and surprisingly difficult to find in museum collections, 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