Adolphe Hervier’s etching, “Three Houses in a Norman Village with a Dilapidated Tower”, 1843

Adolphe Hervier (aka Louis Adolphe Hervier; Louis Henri Victor Jules François Adolphe Hervier) (1817–1879)

“Three Houses in a Norman Village with a Dilapidated Tower” (Rijksmuseum [transl.] title), 1843, plate 3 (second state impression of five states before the addition of the plate number), from the series of eight etchings, “Croquis du voyage de 1843”, published in Paris by Alexis Febvre (fl.1843)—possibly the art collector, Alexis Joseph Febvre (1810–1881).

Etching on chine collé printed in brown ink on wove paper with wide margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 36.2 x 27.5 cm; (plate) 21 x 15.5 cm; (image borderline) 12.4 x 7.9 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Ad. Hervier”; (centre) “PARIS chez ALEXIS FEBVRE Rue de la Victoire 2.”

State ii (of v) before the addition of the plate number and the address of Auguste Delâtre (1822–1907) as the printer.

IFF 6-2(5) (Département des Estampes 1930–, “Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800”, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, vol. 10, p. 361, cat. no. 6); Beraldi 1 (Henri Béraldi 1889, “Les Graveurs du XIXe Siècle: Guide de l'Amateur d'Estampes Modernes”, vol. 8, Paris, Conquet, p. 112).

The Rijksmuseum and the British Museum offer a descriptions of this print: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.122623 & https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1925-1013-31).

Regarding Hervier’s extraordinary etchings, Henri Beraldi’s (1889) introductory commentary to Hervier’s printmaking oeuvre offers the following illuminating gem of nineteenth century appraisal: (transl.) “Apart from his paintings, he left beautiful watercolours, lithographs in crayon or wash which are not without interest; finally, rather curious plates nicely executed in etching, heightened with aquatint and roulette. He had talent: a little more and he would have become someone; but he could not cross this limit” (p. 111).

Condition: a well-printed early impression (before numbering) with generously wide margins in near pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this somewhat moody scene of a crude village set beneath crumbling fortress towers with a figure attending to daily chores beside free roaming pigs, for the total cost of AU$238 (currently US$172.36/EU159.56/GBP134.30 at the time of posting this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) 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 small and curiously wonderful etching of rural life in a Norman village, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.