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Saturday 11 November 2023

Théodore Gericault, Lesaint & Engelmann’s lithograph, “Church of St Nicolas, Rouen”, 1823

Théodore Gericault (1791-1824)—draughtsman of the portrayed horses;

Charles Louis Lesaint (1795-1843)—draughtsman of the architecture;

Godefroy Engelmann I (1788–1839)—printer.

Church of St Nicolas, Rouen” (aka “L´Église de St. Nicolas” “Eglise St Nicolas, Rouen”), 1823, published in 1825 by l'Imprimerie de Pierre Didot l'Ainé in France as an illustration to Charles Nodier’s (1780–1844) et al., “Voyages Pittoresques et Romantiques dans l'Ancienne France: Ancienne Normandie”, vol. 2, following page 69; see https://archive.org/details/bnf-bpt6k1040443d/page/n215/mode/2up.

Lithograph on chine collé on wove paper.

Size: (sheet) 53 x 34.5 cm; (unevenly cut chine collé) 36.3 x 25.3 cm; (image borderline) 34.4 x 23.9 cm.

Lettered in plate above the image borderline: (centre) “P. 150.”

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “'Lesaint et Gericault. 1823.”; (centre) “Eglise St. Nicolas.”; (right) “Lith. de G: Engelmann.”

Clément 46 (Charles Clément 1879, “Géricault: étude biographique et critique, avec le Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre du maître”, Paris, Didier et cie, p. 302, cat. no. 46 [https://archive.org/details/gricaulttudebio00clgoog/page/n405/mode/2up]);  Delteil 93.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “View into a chapel, with in the foreground two horses unharnessed from a carriage from which men remove a coffin; light streaming in from the left, details of statuary and glass windows, other horses further back; published in 'Voyages pittoresques et romantiques dans l'ancienne France', (tome II: 'Normandie'). 1823” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1868-1114-279).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression. The chine collé is irregularly cut (compare with similarly irregular chine collé sheet to be seen in the impression held be the MET [https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/399586]) with minor marks, otherwise, the sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

Interestingly, I understand that the portrayed church, Saint-Nicolas in Rouen, was damaged during the French Revolution leading to its closure for thirty-two years before this print was executed. Sadly, the church was ultimately destroyed fourteen years after this print was published, but “the steeple was moved to Cottévrard, and the stained glass to York Minster in England” (see https://www.stnicholascenter.org/gazetteer/1867#:~:text=The%2012th%20century%20Church%20of,1791%20and%20destroyed%20in%201840). I suspect that the portrayed scene —and I may be very wrong! —shows the Church of St Nicolas in its deconsecrated state of closure. If this is true then the sight of workmen removing the coffins of those interred into a large mud wagon/stagecoach with the far end of the church being used as a holding stable for horses makes sense for me. Note also the stirrups and other tack hung on the stonework along with a wheel on the left and the light piercing through the gathered dust in the air, I believe, supports the idea that the church is no longer a holy sanctuary.  

I am selling this rare lithograph executed in part by the great Théodore Gericault (who drew the horses and the wagon bearing a coffin) and by Charles Louis Lesaint (who drew the architectural details and light streaming into the church), for the total cost of AU$332 (currently US$221.91/EUR200.78/GBP176.75 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 outstanding lithograph, 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










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