George Woolliscroft Rhead (1855-1920)
“Magnolia Grandiflora”, 1885, published in 1886
in New York by Dodd, Mead, and Co., as an original etching in George
W. H Ritchie
and Roger Riordan’s “Ten etchings: Examples of the etched work of
Masse, Casanova, Rhead, Gravesend [sic], Jacomb-Hood, Ballin, L'hermitte,
Jacquemart, Steele, Veyrassat.”
Following in the spirit of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood with
whom the artist is closely associated—mindful that Rhead is included in Percy
Bate's (1890) "English Pre-Raphaelite Painters"—the portrayed lady in
this very beautiful etching is not only a metaphorical personification of the
majestic flower of the print’s title, but her long tresses and even the colour of
the etching ink seem (at least to my eyes) to embody the curling locks of loose
red hair that the Pre-Raphaelites have become identified.
Regarding this print, Ritchie & Riordan (1886) offer the
following insights:
“The artist has found a superb living incarnation of the
splendid flower of the South in the grand beauty whom he presents to us
embowered in the floral splendor she is made to typify. Her loveliness has the
abundant and expansive character of the great blossom she is wreathed and crowned
with.” ([n.p.] descriptive text for “Magnolia Grandiflora”).
Etching (and drypoint?) with plate tone printed in brown ink on cream laid paper with full margins as published.
Size: (sheet) 42.5 x 31.1 cm; (plate) 28 x 21.5 cm; (image
borderline) 26.2 x 20.4 cm.
Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (on banderole)
“MAGNOLIA/ [GRAND]IFLORA”. (Note that the artist’s name is not inscribed.)
Condition: a richly inked, superbly printed (near faultless)
impression in exceptionally fine/museum quality condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains or foxing.
I am selling this magnificently strong impression with a poetically
rich subject exemplifying the spirit of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood for AU$239
(currently US$175.77/EUR147.91/GBP131.65 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 expecially beautiful
etching, 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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