Adolphe Martial Potémont, “Pluie et Soleil”, 1874, after Antoine Chintreuil

Adolphe Martial Potémont (aka Adolphe Martial; Adolphe Théodore Jules Martial Potémont) (1828–1883)

“Pluie et Soleil” (Rain and Sun), 1874, after Antoine Chintreuil’s (1814–1873) painting, “Pluie et Soleil”, 1814–73, exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1873 (see page 48, cat. no. 294 [https://ia803002.us.archive.org/30/items/cataloguesofpari1873acad/cataloguesofpari1873acad.pdf] and now in the collection of the Musée d'Orsay (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Antoine_Chintreuil--Pluie_et_soleil.jpg), published and printed by Alfred Cadart (1828–1875) in Paris in 1874 as an illustration to “La Vie et l'Oeuvre de Chintreuil” (The Life and Work of Chintreuil), by Albert de la Fizelière et al. (see https://bibliotheque-numerique.inha.fr/idurl/1/18539 & https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1877-0414-708-749).

Interestingly, in the description of Chintreuil’s painting that Potémont’s etching reproduces, the Musée d'Orsay offers the following accolade given to it by a critic of the Paris Salon of 1873, Castagnary—a defender of Courbet and the realists: “…this Effect of rain and sun on the surface of this marsh where a few oxen graze on the short grass is truly admirable and it has an equal in the incandescent sky which drowns the entire landscape of low tide with its golden light” (https://www.musee-orsay.fr/fr/oeuvres/pluie-et-soleil-16668).

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

Size: (sheet) 14.9 x 26.3 cm; (image borderline) 11 x 23 cm.

Inscribed in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Imp Cadart”; (centre) “[artist’s monogram]/ PLUIE ET SOLEIL”; (right) “[indistinct] p. 24”.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression, trimmed with a margin around the image borderline. There is a restored tear in the lower margin at left-of-centre and a lump/unevenness in the paper on the platemark at right, otherwise, the print is in a good condition with no significant stains and is laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins.

I am selling this graphically striking etching of a dramatically dazzling and luminous effect of light, clouds and rain above marshlands punctuated with grazing cattle and a running herdsman, for AU$197 in total (currently US$129.60/EUR119.59/GBP102.65 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 finely etched landscape exemplifying the interest at the time in France in light and atmosphere heralding the dawn of Impressionism, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.