Lucien Gautier's etching, “Intérieur du Vieux Port à Marseille”, 1882

Lucien Marcelin Gautier (1850–1925)

“Intérieur du Vieux Port à Marseille”, 1882, from the suite of fifteen etchings, “Vues de Marseille” (Beraldi 17–31), printed by Eudes (aka L Eudes) (fl.1876–1888), published in “L'Art”, vol. XXXI, 1882.

According to the Musée national de la Marine, this print features in a series of ten large etchings by Gautier sponsored and published between 1880 and 1883 by “L'Art” to illustrate "Paris Picturesque" by A. de Campeaux and FE Adam (http://mnm.webmuseo.com/ws/musee-national-marine/app/collection/record/27753).

Note that Gautier’s panoramic views were more extensive than the ten plates published by “L’Art.” According to Beraldi's catalogue raisonné (1887, vol. 6, pp. 250–51), Gautier executed in total, sixteen views of Paris, fifteen views of Marseille and twenty views of other localities within and beyond France.

Etching with retroussage on beige laid paper with full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 30.6 x 44.3 cm; (plate) 25.4 x 40.6 cm; (image borderline) 20 x 38 cm.

Lettered on plate above the image borderline: (centre) “SALON DE 1882”.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Lucien Gautier del. & sc. / L[']Art”; (centre) “INTÉRIEUR DU VIEUX PORT À MARSEILLE”; (right) “Imp. Eudes”.

Beraldi 1885–92 18 (Henri Beraldi 1887, “Les graveurs du 19e siècle; guide de l'amateur d'estampes modernes”, vol. 6, Paris, L Conquet, p. 251, cat. no. 18); IFF 8 (Département des Estampes 1930, “Inventaire du Fonds, Français: graveurs du XVIIe siècle”, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale).

The Musée national de la Marine (National Navy Museum, Paris) offers the following description of this print:

(transl.) “The print represents an interior view of the old port of Marseille and highlights, on the right, the forest of masts of many sailing ships. Until the middle of the 19th century, the old port was the economic centre of Marseille, from which merchant ships left for the various points in the Mediterranean basin and the French colonial Empire. From 1844, the decision was made to extend the commercial port further north, by developing the Joliette basin” (op. cit).

See also the description of the print offered by the British Museum:

“The old harbour in Marseille, looking across the sea towards the city at left; group of rowing boats in the centre foreground, and beyond many ships”

(https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3367801&partId=1&searchText=Lucien+Gautier+&page=1).

Condition: richly inked and well-printed impression with full margins as published. There are significant dark toned areas and a closed tear (9 mm) on the left margin and pale toning to the right margin, otherwise the sheet is in good condition (i.e. there are no holes, folds, abrasions, losses or significant stains within the image area).

I am selling this spectacular panorama of the old port of Marseille featuring a virtual forest of masts for AU$260 in total (currently US$174.64/EUR160.60/GBP134.88 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 darkly glowing image of the harbour at Marseille with throngs of circling seagulls adding a spark of life to an otherwise quiet scene 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