Félix Buhot’s etching and aquatint, “Ryno et Hermangarde”, 1874–80

Félix Buhot (aka Félix Hilaire Buhot; Tohub [Buhot, in reverse]) (1847–1898)

“Ryno et Hermangarde”, 1874–80, printed by Alfred Salmon (fl.1863–1894) and published in Paris by Alphonse Lemerre (1838-1912) as an illustration to Barbey d'Aurevilly's (1808–1889) “Une Vieille Maîtresse” (A Former Mistress).

Etching, aquatint and drypoint (with stop-out, salt lift ground, spirit ground and sulphur tint proposed by Jay McKean Fisher & Colles Baxter [1983]) on cream wove paper backed with a support sheet providing wide margins.

Size: (support sheet) 31.2 x 24 cm; (sheet) 19.2 x 13.5 cm; (plate) 12.6 x 8.3 cm: (image borderline) 10 x 6 cm.

Lettered in plate above the image borderline: (right) “T.II.P.184.”

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “F. Buhot inv. et aquaf.”; (centre) “Imp. A. Salmon.”; (right) “Lemerre, éd.”

State vi (of vi) with the addition of letters and page number; see Bourcard & Goodfriend (1979) addendum “Catalogue Additions and Revisions” cat. no. 106, state 6.

Bourcard & Goodfriend 106 (Gustave Bourcard & James Goodfriend 1979, “Félix Buhot: Catalogue Descriptif de son Oeuvre Grave”, New York, Martin Gordon, pp. 60–61, cat. no. 106).

Bourcard & Goodfriend (1979) offer the following description of this print: (transl.) “On a black horse which carries it to the left, M. de Marigny holds Hermangarde lovingly by the waist, which he has seated on the front of his saddle. In the middle of the black clouds driven by the wind, we see a flock of birds” (p. 60).

See also the description of this print in its fourth state (with marginal sketches on all sides) offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1904-0219-66.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins. Beyond slight toning to the margin edges, the sheet is in a very good condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this tiny and darkly wonderful etching of a couple on a horse galloping along the sea shore set against a sky with gathering clouds and birds, for the total cost of AU$237 (currently US$168.40/EUR154.66/GBP136.65 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 precious little etching, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.