Camille Corot’s etching, “Le Dôme Florentin”, c1870

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

“Le Dôme Florentin” (aka “Cathedral of Florence”), 1869–70, published in 1910 before the later lettering with title.

I originally purchased this etching from one of the major New York dealers in prints before the days when the internet made acquiring prints easy. I simply fell in love with the print and the fluid ease of Corot’s etched lines as they explore and establish what was in front of him. I especially like the way that Corot makes layers of adjustments to the sky tones and how the tree branches are integrated with the rapidly hatched strokes. What I hadn’t realised before I started to research this print is that Corot has featured himself—or at least another artist—engaged in drawing (?) beside the left foreground tree. I shamefully admit that my eyes just didn’t see the figure!

Etching with plate tone on cream laid (Japan) paper with margins as published in the limited edition of 50 proofs.

Size: (sheet) 32.1 x 23.6 cm; (plate) 24 x 16.1 cm.

State ii (of iii) with the publication details “C. Corot inv. et sc.” lettered on plate for the first edition of 50 impression before the edition of 350 impressions with the title, “Le Dôme florentin” at lower centre and “Le Peintre-graveur illustré T. V” at upper right and the much later addition of the blindstamp of the Bibliothèque Nationale.

Delteil 13. (Loys Delteil 1910, “Le peintre-graveur illustré [XIXe et XXe siècle]”, vol. 5, Paris); IFF 13; Melot 13 (Michel Melot 1981, "Graphic Art of the Pre-Impressionists”, Harry N. Abrams, New York, p. 259)

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Tree in landscape with the Duomo visible beyond hills to right. c.1869-70 Etching, with surface tone” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1913-1213-13).

See also the Rijksmuseum’s description of this print:

(Transl.) “In a hilly landscape, a group of trees is in the foreground on the left with a standing figure below, perhaps a draftsman. To the right in the distance is a church with a large dome on the roof" (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.41840).

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed (near faultless) impression. The sheet is in an excellent (near pristine) condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this rare museum quality impression—there are only 50 impressions in this edition before the title was added—of an important etching by one of the major artists of the 19^th century, for the total cost of AU$3020 (currently US$2343.54/EUR1914.20/GBP1652.24 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 exceptionally rare and 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