Che Lou, “Nightwork on the Lantcheou-Sinkiang Line”, c.1955

Che Lou (fl.1950s—?)

“Nightwork on the Lantcheou-Sinkiang Line” (aka “Travail de Nuit sur la Ligne Lantcheou-Sinkiang”). c.1955, an original woodcut in three colours published in Peking (now Beijing) in 1956 by Éditions en Langues Étrangères (Foreign Languages Press) (fl.1952–) as plate 7 to the folio of 40 original woodcuts printed in the People’s Republic of China, “Gravures sur Bois de la Chine Nouvelle.” Note that this print was featured in the second National Exhibition of Fine Arts (China) in 1955 and was chosen from this exhibition for its inclusion in the 1956 folio of prints representing the achievements of “la Chine Nouvelle” (the new China).

I may be wrong, but I believe that this woodcut shows work on the railway connecting Xinjiang with Lanzhou—commonly abbreviated to the Lanxin line, built by the China Railway Engineering Corporation on which work began in 1952 and was completed in 1962. From what I understand, “Lantcheou” (shown in the title) is an alternate name for “Lan-Tchou” which is now called “Lanzhou”; whereas “Sinkiang” is the former name for the province of Xinjiang (“land newly returned”) when it was “liberated” by the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949 (six years before this print was executed). I suspect that this remarkable night-time woodcut is designed to show advances made by China in expanding its control/influence in the more distant regions regardless of the hour or season.

Woodcut in three colours (blue, brown and black) printed on fine cream wove paper (China) with full margins and printed title as published.

Size: (sheet) 25x 34.8 cm; (image borderline) 17.9 x 22.5 cm.

Lettered below the image: (centre) “7. Travail de nuit sur la ligne Lantcheou-Sinkiang  Che Lou”.

Condition: a strong and well-printed (near faultless) impression in a pristine condition.

I am selling this superb three-colour woodcut designed to showcase the expanding infrastructure of China in the mid-1950s—mindful that the folio in which this print features was published by a press that was later “owned and controlled by the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_Languages_Press)—for AU$174 in total (currently/approximately US $113.37/EUR 106.02/GBP 80.5 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. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU $174) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this unusual and pictorially inventive woodcut of a night scene, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Jules Jacquemart, “German 12th Century Triptych”, 1861

Jules Jacquemart (aka Jules Ferdinand Jacquemart) (1837–1880)

“German 12^th Century Triptych” (aka “Triptyqve Allemand XII^ME Siecle” [as lettered in plate]), 1861, printed by Delâtre (possibly Auguste Delâtre [aka Auguste Marie Delâtre] [1822–1907]) and published in Paris in the art periodical, “Gazette des Beaux-Arts” (15^th May, 1861) between pages 218 and 219.

I believe that this triptych was exhibited in the “special exhibition of works of art of the medieval, Renaissance, and more recent periods” at the South Kensington Museum in June 1862, as the catalogue of this exhibition, published by the Museum in 1863, describes the following item: “No. 1,089. Triptych of gilt metal. In the centre is a double cross, with crystals for relics, supported by two angels in high relief; below is a tablet of enamel work representing the Maries at the Tomb; on the leaves are six square enamelled plaques, each containing busts of two apostles, with their names inscribed; in the upper angles are two angels. The figures are in colours, with gilt faces on a gold background. German work, 12th century. (Soltykoff collection, 26.) Height, 13 in.; width, l0 in.” (see p. 76, cat. no. 1089: https://archive.org/details/catalogueofspeci00sout/page/75/mode/1up).

Etching with dot-roulette work printed in a brown ink with pale plate-tone on fine laid paper with the centrefold of publication flattened and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 28.2 x 32.1 cm; (platemark [soft]) 26.1 x 29.9 cm; (image borderline) 24 x 27.5 cm.

Lettered in plate: (above triptych at left) “TRIPTYQVE/ XII^ME”; (above triptych at right) “ALLEMAND/ SIECLE”; (below triptych at left) “Gazette des Beaux arts”: (below triptych at centre) “Jules Jacquemart”; (below triptych at right) “Imp de Delalre [Delâtre]”.

Beraldi 2 (Henri Béraldi 1889, “Les Graveurs du XIXe Siècle: Guide de l'Amateur d'Estampes Modernes: GUERIN–LACOSTE”, vol. VIII, Paris, Librairie L. Conquet, p. 199, cat. no. 2 [Objets de Curiosité); IFF 2-2 (Jean Adhémar & Jacques Lethève 1954, “Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800”, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, cat. no. 2-2).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “German triptych from the 12th century from the collection of Prince Soltykoff; with seated saints on the side panels and Christ and angels on the central panels; published in "Gazette des Beaux-Arts" in May 1861/ Etching with surface tone” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1871-0610-894).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression with overpainted/retouched stains at upper centre and minor marks in the right margin. The centrefold of publication is flattened and the sheet is laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins.

I am selling this finely rendered and visually arresting etching of a small (approx. 32 cm high) 12^th century German gilt metal triptych featuring enamel work and a crystal reliquary in the form of a double cross, for the total cost of AU $179 (currently/approximately US $117.38/EUR 109.56/GBP 93.65 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. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU $179) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this extraordinarily fine etching, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Marcellin Desboutin, “Portrait of Renoir”, 1877

Marcellin Desboutin (aka Marcellin Gilbert Desboutin) (1823–1902)

“Portrait of Renoir” (aka “Portrait du Peintre Auguste Renoir”, “Portrait of Renoir, His Legs Crossed”; “Renoir les Jambes Croisées”), 1877. Note that this portrait was executed from Desboutin’s direct observation of Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919), described by Noël Clément-Janin (1922) in his catalogue of Desboutin’s prints as “l'illustre peintre, au grand corps ‘dégingandé’” (the illustrious painter, with a large "lanky" body) (p. 249). Interestingly, Desboutin executed a second drypoint portrait of Renoir also drawn from direct observation/life in 1877; see https://www.artic.edu/artworks/27707/portrait-of-renoir. I understand that this impression is from an edition of 60 copies published by Henri Floury (aka Paul Henri Joseph Floury) (1862–1961) in Paris in 1922 for the deluxe edition of Clément-Janin’s “La Curieuse vie de Marcellin Desboutin, Peintre, Graveur, Poète”.

Drypoint with pale plate tone on fine wove (Japon) paper with a partial watermark and full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 18 x 22.3 cm; (platemark) 22.5 x 15.8 cm; (image borderline) 21.6 x 15.1 cm.

State ii (of ii) with the addition of the inscribed name, “Renoir”.

Clément-Janin 208 (Noël Clément-Janin 1922, “La Curieuse vie de Marcellin Desboutin, Peintre, Graveur, Poète”, Paris, Henri Floury, p. 249, cat. no. 208 [see https://archive.org/details/lacurieuseviedem00clemuoft/page/248/mode/2up]).

The Philadelphia Museum of Art offers a brief description of this print before the addition of the title: https://philamuseum.org/collection/object/347898.

Condition: a strong and near faultless impression in a near pristine condition.

I am selling this rare and exceptionally beautiful portrait of the renown painter, Renoir, in a contemplative pose, for the total cost of AU $276 (currently/approximately US $181.42/EUR 169.05/GBP 144.66 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. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU $276) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this fine drypoint executed by the male model in Edgar Degas’ famous painting, “L'Absinthe” (aka “The Absinthe Drinker” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Absinthe]), 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

Jean Lepautre, “Font with Two Variants at Bottom and Ornamented with the Adoration of the Shepherds”, c.1667

Jean Lepautre (aka Jean Le Pautre; Jean Le Potre; Jean Lepotre) (1618–1682)

“Font with Two Variants at Bottom and Ornamented with the Adoration of the Shepherds”, c.1667, plate 2 from the series of six plates depicting fonts in the Roman style (“Plates ala Romaine”), published in 1667 by Jean Leblond I (aka Jean Le Blond) (c.1590/94–1666) with privilege from Louis XIV (King of France) (1638–1715). This hand-coloured impression is from the first edition before the edition by Pierre Mariette I) (1634–1716) in 1667 and the later edition by Charles Antoine Jombert (1712–1784) in 1751.

Etching with hand-colouring on laid paper and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 31.3 x 23 cm; (plate) 29.8 x 21.7 cm; (image borderline) 29.2 x 21.1 cm.

Inscribed in plate below the image borderline: (left) “le Bond exec avec Privilege”; (right) “le Potre fecit”

State i (of ii) before numbering and the addition of “P. Mariette ex.”

Condition: a slightly pale impression with vibrant watercolour hand-colouring showing minor staining of the colour in the small margin around the platemark. The sheet is in very good condition with no tears, holes or folds and is backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper

I am selling this uniquely hand-coloured engraving for the total cost of AU $604 (currently US $394.72/EUR 368.94/GBP 315.92 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. Note that payment is in Australian dollars as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this ornamental design augmented with bold colouring, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

John Hamilton Mortimer, “Richard II”, 1775

John Hamilton Mortimer (1740–1779)

“Richard II”, 1775, from the series, “Twelve Characters from Shakespeare” (1775–76), published by the artist in London in 1775.

Etching on laid paper, trimmed around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (oval sheet trimmed at the image borderline) 34.4 x 28.3 cm.

Sunderland 96.2 (John Sunderland 1986, “John Hamilton Mortimer, His Life and Works”, The Walpole Society, vol. 52, cat. no. 96.2).

See also the description of this print offered by the British Museum: (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1850-0810-8).

The Metropolitan Museum of Art describes this point and provides the lines of text from Shakespeare’s “Richard II”, Act 3, Scene 2, that have been trimmed from this impression: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/407696.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression trimmed around the image borderline (with loss of the text beyond this borderline), backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. There is a dark mark at the top of the sheet, otherwise the sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds or significant stains.

I am selling this exceptionally rare etching for AU$460 in total (currently US $300.61/EUR 280.98/GBP 240.60 at the time of posting 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. Note that payment is in Australian dollars as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this large and famous masterpiece showing the skeletal figure of Death wearing a feather crown about to dispatch the vain and arrogant Richard II with a VERY long pin, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.