Walter Vaes’ etching, “Du Haut du Clocher”, 1904

Walter Vaes (1882–1958)—a Belgian painter and printmaker active mainly in Antwerp.

“Du Haut du Clocher” (From the Top of the Bell Tower/Steeple), 1904—based on the artist’s other etchings of bells circa 1904, the scene is possibly around Veurne, Belgium.

Etching (soft-ground, hard-ground and drypoint?) with plate tone on cream laid paper.

Size: (sheet) 30.4 x 24.5 cm; (plate) 19.9 x 15 cm.

Inscribed in plate: (lower right on building edge) “Vaes”

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed impression in excellent condition with no tears, holes, abrasions, significant stains or foxing. There are previous collectors’ pencil notations verso.

I am selling this visually arresting etching showing a view from a high vantage point looking past a perched bird and ringing bells to farmlands and a windmill in the distance—note that images designed to connote sound (here the ringing bell) and a split second of “frozen” action are uncommon in art, but there are precedents such as Jan Sadeler’ engraving, “Hermit Ciomus”, c1585, that also features a ringing bell—for a total cost of AU$238 (currently US$166.55/EUR149.35/GBP124.28 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this marvellous etching with its scenic leap from the almost tactile linework of the soft-ground etching in the foreground to the atmospherically finer linework of the hard-ground etching rendering the distance, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.