Thomas Landseer’s etching, “The Widow”, 1827

Thomas Landseer (1795–1880)

“The Widow”, 1827, plate 25 from the series of 26 illustrations to “Monkey-Ana, or, Men in Miniature”, published in London by Francis Graham Moon (1796–1871), Boys & Graves (fl. 1827–1836).

Archive.org offers an online view of this publication and this plate in its context: https://archive.org/details/monkeyanaormenin00land/page/n99/mode/2up.

Etching on chine collé (China paper) on heavy wove paper with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 36.4 x 25.4 cm; (plate) 20.3 x 16.4 cm; (chine collé) 20.2 x 16.1 cm.

Inscribed in plate below the image: (lower left) [flourish of artist’s initials] “T L”; (right of centre) “'— now will canker Sorrow eat my bud,/ And chase, the native beauty from his cheek,’/ Shakespeare./ Published Dec^r. 1 1827, by Moon, Boys & Graves 6, Pall Mall. A Paris chez Piers Bernard, Boulevard des Italiens.”

British Museum Satires XI. 15628; Nagler VII. 273.1; Bk. Pr. Cur. 1909, #1315 (26 plates); Brunet III.815; Graesse IV.96; Le Blanc II.488.5 (References from THE MET: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/395575).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“In a grassy glade an ape lies as if asleep. His desolate mate sits on her haunches, watching him. They do not wear clothes. Below: '"— now will canker Sorrow eat my bud, / And chase the native beauty from his cheek," Shakespeare.' ['King John', III. iv.] 1 December 1827
Etching printed on chine collé” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1945-0927-3).

The Curator of the British Museum advises that the portrayed scene is an example, “not of pathos, but of sentiment travestied” (op. cit.).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression. There are two small printer’s creases (?) in the lower vegetation, otherwise the sheet is in almost pristine condition with no tears, holes, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this superb masterwork of etching and a fine example of singerie (i.e., anthropomorphism using monkeys to portray human sentiments)—here capturing the underlying narrative of Shakespeare's “King John”, Act 3, Scene iv”—for AU$226 in total (currently US$165.72/EUR140.20/GBP119.65 at the time of posting 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 extremely sensitive etching that to my eyes expresses soul-draining grief in an unambiguously way, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.