Maurice Poirson’s etching, “Le Viatique, Plage de Normandie”, 1874

Maurice Poirson (1850–1882)

“Le Viatique, Plage de Normandie” (aka “Viaticum on a Beach in Normandy”), 1874, showing a dark and stormy beach scene with a religious procession of five people headed by a young acolyte holding aloft a Viaticum—the Extreme Unction used in the Last Rites for anointing a dying person—followed by another young acolyte ringing a handbell, followed by the priest sheltering under an umbrella with a well-rugged lady and followed by two elderly ladies wearing clogs with one supported on a cane.

This print is after the artist’s painting of the same subject exhibited in the Salon of 1874 (cat. no. 1591; see https://archive.org/details/cataloguesofpari1874acad/page/218/mode/2up/search/Poirson+), printed by Alfred Cadart (1828–1875) and published in Paris by Librairie Bachelin-Deflorenne (fl.1866–1878) in “Le Musée des Deux-Mondes” in 1875 (?) (see a description of this publication at catawiki auctions: https://www.catawiki.com/l/6043729-bachelin-deflorenne-musee-des-deux-mondes-1875).

Etching with dot roulette and plate tone on heavy laid paper with margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 27.4 x 39.2 cm; (soft plate impression) 23.2? x 31.2? cm; (image borderline) 20 x 26.8 cm.

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower left corner) “MPoirson/ 74”.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “M.Poirson,pinx. et sc./ LE MUSÉE DES DEUX-MONDES.”; (centre) “LE VIATIQUE, PLAGE DE NORMANDIE/ (Salon de 1874)”; (right) “Imp.A.Cadart,56,BartHaussmann,Paris./ Librairie Bachelin-Deflorenne.”

Condition: richly inked faultless impression in near pristine condition (i.e. there are no tears, losses, holes, folds, abrasions, stains or significant signs of use).

I am selling this darkly glowing etching showing a sombre procession, battling with wind and rain, on its way to perform the Last Rites—no doubt for a mortally injured seafarer—for AU$187 (currently US$108.77/EUR64.98/GBP57.93 at the time of posting this print) 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 stormy beach scene executed at the time of the Etching Revival movement when artists celebrated the re-emergence of strong expressive linework in the manner of Rembrandt, rather than the highly stylised linework of the reproductive engravers earlier in the century, 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