Félix Dominique de Vuillefroy’s etching, “Un Labourage en Auvergne”, 1878

Félix Dominique de Vuillefroy (aka Félix de Vuillefroy-Cassini) (1841–1918)

“Un Labourage en Auvergne” (Ploughing in Auvergne), 1878, printed and published by Veuve A. Cadart (aka Vve A. Cadart) (fl.1875–1882; initially Alfred Cadart [1828–1875]) in Paris for the Société de Peintres-Graveurs à L’Eau-Forte, as plate 438 to the art journal, “L'Illustration Nouvelle” (aka “L'Illustration nouvelle par une société de peintres-graveurs à l'eau-forte”), vol. 10 (Part Two), 1878 (see https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb426741203).

Etching with drypoint and plate tone on laid paper (Aqua-Fortistes watermark) with full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 31.8 x 46.8 cm; (plate) 15.7 x 23.6 cm; (image borderline) 12.2 x 19.9 cm

Numbered in plate above the image borderline: (right) “438.”

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline: (lower right corner) “Vuillefroy”.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “De Vuillefroy, pinx. et sc.”; (centre) “UN LABOURAGE EN AUVERGNE”; (right) “V^ve A. Cadart, Edit.Imp.56 B^ard Haussmann,Paris.”

See the description of this print offered by the Musée d’art et d’histoire de Genève: https://collections.geneve.ch/mah/oeuvre/un-labourage-en-auvergne/e-2015-0443-027.

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed impression in near pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, stains or foxing.  I understand that there are restorations to the sheet but I’m unable to see them.

I am selling this superb etching of rural life in Auvergne (central France) at the end of the nineteenth century showing a farmer ploughing with four oxen near what may be (or what my fantasy has concocted as wanting to see) the worn remnant of a volcanic hill (puy) of the famous Chaîne des Puys for which the region is known, for AU$233 in total (currently US$154.05/EUR145.91/GBP129.93 at the time of posting 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 almost iconic image of a passing era before mechanisation changed rural life forever, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.