Charles Émile Jacque’s etching, “Woman at the Well”, 1842

Charles Émile Jacque (1813–1894)

“Woman at the Well” (aka “Femme au Puits”; “Petite Femme Tenant un Seau au Bord d’un Puits”; “La Femme à la Cruche, Accoudée au Puits”), 1842, printed in Paris by Auguste Delâtre (aka Auguste Marie Delâtre) (1822–1907) and later published by Marchant (aka Alliance des Arts) (fl.c1830–80). This impression is before the addition of the publisher’s details.

Etching with dot roulette printed in dark brown ink on cream chine collé (China) paper on wove paper.

Size: (sheet) 23.4 x 15.2 cm; (plate) 10 x 6.4 cm; (chine collé) 9.5 x 6 cm;  (image borderline) 8.3 x 5.2 cm.

Inscribed in plate below the image borderline (note that there may be errors in my reading of the text): (left) “66”; (centre) “CH. JACQUE 1842 X L.pe [?]”; (right) “Paris Imp.^c[?] Aug Delâtre Rue de Bievie 19".

Guiffrey 5 (J-J Guiffrey 1866, “L'Oeuvre de Charles Jacque: catalogue de ses eaux-fortes et pointes seches”, Paris, p. 34, cat. no. 5); IFF 11 (Jean Adhémar & Jacques Lethève 1954, “Inventaire du Fonds Français: Bibliothèque Nationale”, Paris, Département des Estampes, p. 100, cat. no. 11); Beraldi 5 (Henri Béraldi 1885–1892, “Les Graveurs du XIXe Siècle: Guide de l'Amateur d'Estampes Modernes”, vol. VIII, Paris, Librairie L. Conquet, p. 177, cat. no. 5 [https://archive.org/details/lesgraveursdu19e08berauoft/page/177/mode/1up]).

The British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art offer descriptions of this print:

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1889-0608-5; https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/829488.

Condition: a strong and near faultless impression with margins (4.5 cm at sides) and in a very good condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains or foxing.

I am selling this very early and graphically strong etching by one of the luminaries of the Barbizon School for AU$256 (currently US$192.45/EUR175.56/GBP146.19 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 very beautiful etching of rural life in France in the 19th century—note the soft blush of morning light cast on the young lady as she balances a pail on the edge of the well and the suggestion of what life must have been like based on the rustic charm of her surroundings—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.