Charles Louis Kratke’s etching on vellum, “Evening”, c1883

Charles Louis Kratke (aka Charles Louis Kratké) (1848–1921)

“Evening”, c1883, proof-state impression on vellum (before the addition of title and publication details?) after Théodore Rousseau (aka Pierre-Étienne-Théodore Rousseau) (1812-1867).

Etching and drypoint on vellum, plate signed, with wide margins and backed with a support sheet (to help prevent the vellum from cockling).

Size: (sheet) 25.8 x 42.4 cm; (faint platemark) 23.7 x 28.4 cm; (image borderline) 14.6 x 22.5 cm.

Inscribed on plate: (within the image borderline at lower left) “TH. ROUSSEAU”; (below the image borderline at right) “L[?] KRATKÉ. SC”

Condition: richly inked and well-printed, near faultless impression printed on vellum with generously wide margins. There are naturally occurring imperfections in the vellum and minor distortions to the image, otherwise the sheet is in excellent condition.

I am selling this stunning proof-state etching on genuine vellum (i.e. calf skin), showing a twilight view across marshlands with a solitary seated fisherman in the middle distance and a figure crossing a bridge in the far distance, to a spectacularly glowing incandescent sky, for the total cost of AU$264 (currently US$185.61/EUR159.33/GBP143.32 at the time of this listing) 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 very beautiful etching capturing the sparkling effect of the last vestiges of sunlight illuminating the foliage of bushes—perhaps glinting on hoarfrost on gorse bushes (but I am probably wrong about this remembering that I live in the hot tropics of Australia and the reality of ever seeing something like frost on gorse bushes lives in my poetic dreams)—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