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Thursday, 22 October 2020

Camille Corot’s exceptionally rare first edition lithograph, “Souvenir de Sologne”, 1873

Camille Corot (aka Jean Baptiste Camille Corot) (1796–1875)

Souvenir de Sologne”, 1873, from the exceptionally rare first edition published in Paris in what Melot (1981) describes in his catalogue raisonné for Corot, as “a small number” (p. 262) for “Album Contemporain: Collection de dessins et croquis de meilleurs artistes de notre époque, ouvrage publié Sous le Patronage des principaux Maîtres contemporains, 1re Série de 25 Planches” (Contemporary Album: Collection of drawings and sketches by the best artists of our time, work published under the patronage of the main contemporary masters, 1st Series of 25 Plates).

Lithograph on cream chine collé on fine wove paper, signed by the artist in the plate.

Note: the process employed in making this lithograph was unusual and described by Melot (1981) as an “autolithograph.” It is certainly executed by a pen-drawn transfer process, but as Melot (1981) advises, there is no reason to be certain that “the drawing was done on lithographic transfer paper” (p. 262). For instance, Melot (1981) cites Alfred Robaut (1905) proposal that the process involved a “glass plate transferred to stone” (p. 262).

Way back in 2017 I received the suggestion from a writer (known to me only as “JD”) that the process is likely to involve coating a litho stone with gum bi chromate and making a contact print on the stone using a cliche verré (glass plate) as the negative and then processing the litho plate to create the lithograph—in fact this is how Robaut proposed that this print was made! Thank you JD.

Size: (sheet) 16 x 25.6 cm; (chine collé) 14.8 x 24.4 cm; (image borderline) 13.6 x 23.4 cm.

State i (of ii) before lettering in the second edition with the publication details of Schmit et Cie.

Melot C34 (Michel Melot 1981, “Graphic Art of the Pre-Impressionists”, New York, Harry N. Abrams, p. 262, cat. no. C 34); Delteil 34 (Loys Delteil, “Le Peintre-Graveur Illustré [XIXe et XXe siècles]”).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “Flat landscape with trees to left, horse and figure(?) in pond to right. 1873 Lithograph, on cream chine collé” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1913-1213-14).

Condition: superb impression in near pristine condition beyond very fine imperfections to the chine collé sheet (stretch fractures?).

I am selling this extremely rare original lithograph from the first edition (before lettering) by Corot for AU$900 (currently US$639.74/EUR539.62/GBP487.48 at the time of posting this print) including Express Mail (EMS) 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 seldom seen print on the art market by one the most famous artists of the Barbizon School, 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








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