Félix Bracquemond’s etching, “Les Cigognes”, 1867

Félix Bracquemond (aka Joseph Auguste Félix Bracquemond) (1833–1914)

“Les Cigognes” (The Storks), 1867, printed by Auguste Delâtre (aka Auguste Marie Delâtre) (1822–1907) and published in 1867 in Paris by Cadart & Luquet (fl.1863–1867) for the Société des Aquafortistes as plate 271 to the fifth volume of prints in “Eaux-Fortes Modernes.” Gallica – BnF offers an online view of all the prints (including this etching) featured in this volume: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8470016v.

Etching with plate tone on fine wove paper with full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 50 x 32 cm; (plate) 24.8 x 18.6 cm; (image borderline) 17.5 x 13.5 cm.

Numbered in plate above the image borderline: (right) “225.”

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Bracquemond sculp.”; (centre) “LES CIGOGNES/ Paris, Publié par CADART & LUQUET, Editeurs, 79, Rue Richelieu”; (right) “Imp. Delâtre, Rue St. Jacques, 303, Paris.”

State ii (of ii/iii) with the addition of publication details. Note that there must be a third state where the publication details are erased (see reference to the Beraldi catalogue cited by the MET: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/395760, but the 1885 edition of Beraldi that I consulted does show this third state).

Beraldi 179 ii (Henri Béraldi 1885, “Les Graveurs du XIXe Siècle: Guide de l'Amateur d'Estampes Modernes: Guérin–Lacoste”, vol. VIII, Paris, Librairie L. Conquet, p. 69, cat. no. 179 ii [https://archive.org/details/lesgraveursdu19e03berauoft/page/68/mode/2up]); IFF 176 (Jean Adhémar, Jacques Lethève 1954, “Inventaire du Fonds Francais Apres 1800”, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, cat. no. 176, p. 369).

Beraldi (1885) points out that this plate was designed to be a continuation of a series of plates featuring the Magpie, the Raven and the Duck (Beraldi nos. 113, 115 and 116). By intention, the series represents (in translation) “amateurs browsing the quay” (p. 69). Although there no mention is made regrading what the storks “as amateurs” might characterise, Beralsi advises that the magpie represents “criticism”, the raven, “the people of the law” and the duck, “journalism.”

Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand) offers the following insights about this print:

“Les Cigognes (The storks) depicts three storks standing on a (probably Parisian) quay. The foreground stork, while ornithologically accurate, hints unmistakably at an anthropomorphic caricature. It is plate 271 in the fifth and final volume of prints, Eaux-Fortes Modernes, produced by the Société des Aquafortistes (Society of Etchers) in 1863-67. Five volumes and 300 plates all up were published; the collection marks the advent of the etching revival in France” (https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/40165).

Condition: a richly inked, strong and well-printed impression with full margins (as published). The sheet is in an excellent condition (near pristine) with no tears, holes, folds, stains or foxing.

I am selling this graphically striking and important print by Bracquemond—note the strong influence the Kacho-ga (“images of flowers and birds”) genre of Japanese prints in this etching that helped to initiate the blooming of the style termed, Japonisme—for the total cost of AU$355 (currently US$263.94/EUR223.35/GBP191.53 at the time of this listing) 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 marvellous 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