Charles Daubigny’s etching, “The Ruins of the Château at Crémieu (Isère)”, 1850

Charles Daubigny (aka Charles François Daubigny) (1817–1878)

“The Ruins of the Château at Crémieu (Isère)” (The ruins of the Château at Crémieu [Isère]), 1850, plate 11, printed in Paris by Auguste Delâtre (aka Auguste Marie Delâtre) (1822–1907) and published by the Chalcographie du Louvre (fl.1797–).

Michel Melot (1978) advises that there is a related drawing in the Cabinet des Dessins (the Louvre) and that the plate is held in the Louvre Chalcographie under the title of “Les Ruines.” Interestingly, Melot also notes that the plate is “a reused plate, already engraved on the reverse by another engraver” (p. 277).

Etching with aquatint and roulette on cream wove paper, dry-stamped with the seal of the Louvre Chalcographie.

Size: (sheet) 26.3 x 29.3 cm; (plate) 12 x 19.5 cm; (image borderline) 9.3 x 17.3 cm.

Numbered in plate above the image borderline: (upper right corner) “11”.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Daubigny.”; (right) “Imp. par Aug Delâtre Fbourg Poissonniere 145 Paris”.

State ii (of ii) with the addition of the printer’s address.

Melot D77 (Michel Melot 1978, “Graphic Art of the Pre-Impressionists”, New York, Harry N. Abrams, p. 277, cat. no. D77 [2]); Delteil 77 (Loys Delteil 1921, “Le Peintre Graveur Illustré: Charles François Daubigny”, vol. 13, Paris, cat. no. 77.ii); Henriet 71 (Frederic Henriet 1878, “C. Daubigny et Son Oeuvre”, Paris, p. 123, cat. no. 71).

See also the description of this print offered by the Metropolitan Museum of Art: http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/336860.

Condition: a richly inked, well-printed and near faultless impression with large margins and dry-stamped by the Louvre Chalcographie below the plate mark (towards the lower centre of the margin). The sheet is in near pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains (note that there is a triangle of darker tone verso—from uneven exposure to light?) or foxing.

I am selling this gem of a landscape by one of the leading artists of the Barbizon School for AU$265 in total (currently US$177.13/EUR160.26/GBP141.08 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this remarkable etching of distant ruins that close examination reveals a figure on horseback in full gallop trailed by a dog, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.