Charles Joshua Chaplin’s lithograph, “Shepherds of the Cevennes”, c1850

Charles Joshua Chaplin (1825–1891) —not to be confused with the almost legendary silent film actor, Charlie Chaplin (Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin KBE).

“Shepherds of the Cevennes” (aka “Pâtres des Cévennes”), c1850, after a painting by CJ Chaplin exhibited in the Salon of 1885, printed by Victor Jacques Bertauts (fl.1830s–1880) and published in Paris by Marchant (aka Alliance des Arts) (fl.c1830–80) in “L'Artiste”.

Interestingly, this print plays a significant role in uncovering an act of fraud. Henri Béraldi (1886) explains that in 1885 an unknown painting by Millet appeared on the market that was guaranteed as being an authentic Millet. Chaplin was shocked as this painting was in fact his own painting: “Shepherds of the Cévennes.” Chaplin’s name had been erased and replaced with Millet’s signature. What the forger hadn’t bargained on, however, was that this print (executed by Chaplin after the artist’s painting) existed confirming that the signature on the painting was a forgery and the the painting was by Chaplin. Béraldi advises that: (transl.) “[the forger] …got caught red-handed. Chaplin laughed at the adventure” (p. 96). From my understanding of the relationship between Chaplin and Millet, Millet may have been scornful of Chaplin as Chaplin had “become a declared opponent of the realistic landscape” leading to Chaplin’s lament ; “For once I'm [portraying] pigs [and] I'm out of luck!” (ibid.)

Lithograph printed in black ink on wove paper backed with a support sheet.

Size: (support sheet) 42.2 x 34.9 cm; (sheet) 30.6 x 22.5 cm; (image borderline) 20.7 x 16.8 cm.

Inscribed and lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Ch.Chaplin.pinx. et lith.”; (centre) “Pâtres des Cévennes.”; (right) “Imp. Bert[auts]/ Marchant, Edit^r.­­_Alliance des Arts.”

Béraldi 61 (Henri Béraldi 1886, “Les graveurs du XIXe siècle: Guide de l'amateur d'estampes modernes”, vol. 4, Paris, Librairie L Conquet, p. 96, cat. no. 61).

Henri Béraldi (1886) offers the following description of this print: (transl.) “The last vestiges of twilight, in a mountainous landscape. a herdsman and a peasant woman drive a herd before them of pigs descending towards the foreground. — Salon of 1850” (p. 96).

See also the description of this print offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1889-0608-356.

Condition: a well-printed impression with small margins laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. Beyond minor handling marks, the sheet is in a very good condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this poetically evocative lithograph where a descending drove of pigs is only partially visible in fading twilight, for the total cost of AU$237 (currently US$163.38/EUR156.94/GBP133.34 at the time of 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 remarkable lithograph of rural life at dusk, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Note that I have listed two other prints by Charles Chaplin that are currently still available:

https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2021/04/charles-joshua-chaplins-etching.html;

https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2022/03/charles-joshua-chaplins-etching.html.