Donald Shaw MacLaughlan’s etching, “La Ruelle du Pêcheur”, 1902

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan (aka Donald Shaw Mac Laughlan) (1876–1938)

“La Ruelle du Pêcheur” (Fisherman’s Lane), 1902, exhibited in the Salon of 1903 (Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts) (see catalogue entry on p. XLIV, no. 91: https://archive.org/details/catalogueillust1903soci/page/n49/mode/2up), published in Paris in 1903 by the Gazette des Beaux-Arts in the July edition inserted between pages 40 and 41.

Etching on fine laid paper with a small margin (as published) around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 26.4 x 17.3 cm; (plate) 22 x 15.1 cm.

Inscribed with very fine letters along the upper edge: (centre) “D. S. Mac Laughlan. 1902”.

State vi (of vi) MacLaughlan in the Roullier catalogue (1924) offers the following description of this state: “The accents on the dress of the woman with the baby on the right have been added as well as the transition of the dark mass on the lower part of the wall against her dress. A few lines have been added on the white surface of the wall to the right of the figure and at the extreme top. The lower part of the ruelle in the foreground has been rebitten and strength has been added to the top of the wall on the right that is in shadow” (p. 47).

MacLaughlan/Roullier 50 vi (Donald Shaw MacLaughlan 1924, “A descriptive catalogue of the etched work of Donald Shaw MacLaughlan”, Chicago, Albert Roullier Art Galleries, p. 47, cat. no. 50 [see: https://archive.org/details/gri_33125010019178/page/n84/mode/2up]).

See also the description of this print offered by the Art Institute of Chicago: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/11834/ruelle-du-pecheur.

MacLaughlan in the Roullier catalogue (1924) offers the following description of this print: “Between high blank walls in the immediate foreground, a narrow crooked street of stairs mounts between the houses. Groups of figures pass up and down or loiter by the houses. In the middle distance a woman is washing and clothes are hung out to dry high overhead. At the foot of the stairs, beside a woman carrying a baby who is descending, a fisherman is offering his wares for sale. At the lower right, two women, one holding a baby, stand conversing. The light falls on the stairway, the houses at the top and the wall at the right” (p. 47).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression (near faultless) with small margins (as published) and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins. The sheet is in a near pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains or foxing.

I am selling this superb etching of a narrow street scene in France with knee-hobblingly steep stairs—possibly La rue du Machicoulis in Boulogne-sur-mer (see Rev. Richard Calvert Jones’ photograph (c.1853) of this curious looking lane: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O143637/la-rue-du-machicoulis-boulogne-photograph-jones-calvert-richard/)—for AU$253 (currently US$169.11/EUR153.01GBP134.69 at the time of posting this listing) including Express Mail 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 marvellous etching capturing a slice of everyday life in a street full of folk performing their daily duties of nattering, stepping around children and ambling along enriched with dogs doing what dogs do—see the couple of dogs in the foreground that could easily be overlooked with all that is happening—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.