Adolphe Appian’s etching, “Le chemin de l'étang de Grignon (Isère)”, 1877

Adolphe Appian (1818–1898)

“Le chemin de l'étang de Grignon (Isère)” (The path to the Grignon lake [Isère]), 1877, first state impression (of three states) before the addition of the title and publication details.

Etching on fine laid paper with watermark and wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 30.8 x 42.6 cm; (plate) 16 x 24 cm; (image borderline) 10.4 x 19.3 cm.

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline: (upper left corner) “Appian 77 [numbered in reverse]”.

State i (of iii)

Prouté 45 I (Atherton Cutiis & Paul Prouté 1968, “Adolphe Appian son Oeuvre Gravé et Lithographié”, Paris, Paul Prouté, [n.p.], cat. no. 45 I); Jennings 40 (Herbert H Jennings 1925, Adolphe Appian (essay) in “Print Collector’s Quarterly,” vol. 12, no. 1, p. 116, cat. no. 40 [see https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/print_collectors_quarterly1925/0134/scroll]).

In Hamerton’s 1876 edition of “Etching and Etchers”, Hamerton offers the following interesting insights about Appian’s prints: “…his [Appian’s] work is that each plate, however large or however small it may be, is conceived from the first as a whole, and the first conception is never departed from for the disproportionate realisation of some obtrusive detail.” Going further, “…Appian sees always in masses, and gives quite as much detail as is consistent with the preservation of the mass” (pp. 202–03).

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed impression with generously wide margins in near pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this exceptionally rare first-state etching before it was later titled and lettered with publication details, for the total cost of AU$356 (currently US$225.27/EUR231.44/GBP293.22 at the time of 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 very beautiful etching executed by an artist with a strong personal vision—to my eyes this print seems heavily loaded with a melancholic mood—and close connection with the Barbizon School, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold