Augustus John’s etching, “Benjamin Waugh”, c.1906

Augustus John (aka Augustus Edwin John) (1878–1961)

“Benjamin Waugh” (founder of the charity, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), c.1906, published in 1906 (but executed earlier), number 11 in an edition of 25 impressions, published by C. Chenil & Co in 1906, and pencil signed by the artist at lower right. Note that this impression is inscribed in pencil at lower left, “Plate no. 85”, from what Dodgson (1920) advises were catalogue numbers recorded by Jack Knewstub (founder of the Chenil Gallery and the brother-in-law of both William Orpen and William Rothenstein) “during the winter of 1905/6” in a “haphazard” manner “…as they [the plates/prints] were found by the artist and handed over, and these numbers bear no relation to the order of production or to any other principle of arrangement” (p. viii).

Etching with plate tone on cream laid paper (watermark “GC & Co”), signed in plate and in pencil. The lower edge of the sheet has pencil inscriptions by an unidentified hand (Jack Knewstub's?) showing the plate number, edition number and title of the print.

Size: (sheet [uneven edges]) 29.1 x 23 cm; (plate) 16.3 x 15 cm.

Inscribed in the plate at right: “John” and pencil-signed by the artist below the platemark at right.

Dodgson 23 (Campbell Dodgson 1920, “A Catalogue of Etchings by Auguste John 1901–1914”, London, Charles Chenil & Co., p. 28, cat. no. 23).

See also the description of this print offered by the British Museum and a preparatory drawing (c.1898) held by the National Portrait Gallery (London):  https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1949-0411-1185 & https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw57888/Benjamin-Waugh.

Condition: a strong and near faultless impression with margins as published. There are remnants of mounting tape along the top edge and the lower margin has pencil notations (including the artist signature). The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this ultra-beautiful and ultra-rare pencil-signed etching—described in Dodgson’s (1920) catalogue raisonné as being of “special excellence” (p. vii)—for AU$1324 (currently US$884.96/EUR800.71/GBP704.85 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 early portrait by Augustus John—interestingly, I understand that the plate tone served the purpose of mitigating the effect of the accumulation of minor damages from when the plate was first inscribed to when it was finally printed (see Dodgson [1920, p. ix])—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