Prints and Principles

Most of the recent posts give details about individual prints and earlier posts discuss some of the subtle principles guiding artists in making images meaningful and memorable. For prints that are unsold, click "Items still available for sale" below. All other prints are no longer available. My contact email is oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com and my Instagram username is @printsandprinciples. I have created a separate blog to show my own work: https://printsandprinciplesjamesbrown.blogspot.com

Saturday, 9 August 2025

Charles Maurand, “L'Hotel des ventes: L'Amateur”, 1863, after Honoré Daumier

Charles Maurand (1824–1904)—wood engraver for 'L'Univers Illustré' (1875) and 'Le Monde Illustré' (1858–76).

“L'Hotel des ventes: L'Amateur” (The Auction House: The Amateur) (aka “Les Amateurs de Tableaux”), 1863, wood-engraving after the design by Honoré Daumier (aka [pseudonym] Rogelin; Honoré-Victorin Daumier) (1808–1879) showing three potential art collectors examining works at an auction house (“L'Hotel des ventes”), published in "Le Monde Illustré" on April 18, 1863.

Wood engraving on fine wove paper (newsprint) with letterpress text verso, trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 24.7 x 17.1cm; (image borderline) 22.4 x 16.1cm.

Inscribed in plate: (lower left) “[monogram of Honoré Daumier] h D”; (lower right) “[signature of Charles Maurand] C. MAURAND.”

Letterpress text below the image borderline: (centre) “LES AMATEURS DE TABLEAUX. Dessin de Daumier.”

Bouvy 1933, no. 940 (Eugène Bouvy 1933, “Daumier: L'oeuvre gravé du maître”, Paris, Maurice la Garrec, cat. no. 940).

See also the description of this print offered by the National Gallery of Art: https://www.nga.gov/artworks/56772-lhotel-des-ventes-lamateur.

Condition: a near faultless impression. Beyond the text verso partially shining through, the sheet is in a pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or stains.

I am selling this curiously wonderful wood-engraving after a drawing by the great satirist, Honoré Daumier, showing art connoisseurs thoroughly engaged in examining paintings at an auction, for the total cost of AU$139 (approximately US$90.75, EUR 77.94 or GBP 67.47), including express mail shipping worldwide. Import duties, if any, are the responsibility of the buyer.

If you are interested in purchasing this insightful representation of auction-going art-lovers, 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