Jean Désiré Ringel d’Illzach, “Salon de 1881: Médaillons Terre-Cuite”, 1881

Jean Désiré Ringel d’Illzach (1847–1916)
“Salon de 1881: Médaillons Terre-Cuite” (Salon of 1881: Terracotta Medallions), 1881

 Ringel d'Illzach was a prominent French sculptor and master medallist (médailleur) who created this print to document his highly celebrated terracotta submissions to the 1881 Paris Salon.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with aquatint printed in bistre-coloured ink on laid paper with generously wide margins. The sheet has been professionally laid on archival washi paper to ensure support and stability. This is a proof-state impression before lettering for publication.

It is a strong artist’s proof-quality impression that is crisp and evenly printed. Aside from surface dustiness to the outer edges of the margin and a small white mark on the head of the woman—possibly occurring during printing—the sheet is in very good condition, free of tears, holes, folds, abrasions, and significant stains.

 Important Presentation Inscription:

The upper right margin features a historic pencil notation in a contemporary hand reading: “Cuivre offert à soumettre à M. Gaucherel” (translating to: "Copper plate offered to be submitted to Mr. Gaucherel"). This directly references Léon Gaucherel (1816–1886), the highly influential etcher and Art Director of the prestigious French art journal L'Art, confirming this sheet's status as a rare, pre-publication review proof.

 Breakdown of the Medallions & Figures:

 

• Upper Left: Alexis Coquet (1845–1919)—though the inscription contains a historical artist misspelling that reads “COGNIER”. Coquet operated a highly respected Parisian foundry that collaborated with avant-garde sculptors to realise their complex low-relief models into finished bronze.
• Upper Left-of-Centre: Victor Laloux (1850–1937) Laloux famously designed the Gare d'Orsay (now the iconic Musée d'Orsay) and the Gare de Tours.
• Upper Right-of-Centre: René Princeteau (1843–1914)—the inscription utilises a classical Latin style 'V' for the 'U' in his surname. Princeteau was the primary mentor and first artistic teacher of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
• Upper Right: Ringel d’Illzach (1847–1916) The artist’s own self-portrait depicts him wearing a traditional artisan cap.
• Middle Left: Lucien Pallez (1853–1932) Pallez is an academic sculptor who regularly exhibited alongside Ringel at the Paris Salons.
• Middle Right: Gaston Braun (1845–1928) Braun was the director of the legendary fine-art publishing house, Maison Braun (Braun & Cie), that reproduced and popularised Salon artworks.
• Lower Left: Albert-Louis Dammouse (1848–1926) Dammouse was an influential French Art Nouveau ceramicist, sculptor, and glassmaker famed for his innovative pâte-de-verre (glass paste) techniques.
• Lower Centre — "En Promenade” (On a Stroll): This central, jagged high-relief sculpture depicts a modern bohemian couple on an outdoor walk—the man confidently sporting a bowler hat and smoking, while the woman wears a striking domino mask. The title “EN PROMENADE” is carved directly into the left side of the block in rustic capital letters. It features the artist's prominent interlocking “RI” monogram, making it a key focal point of his 1881 Salon portfolio.
• Lower Right: Domenico Boero A French figure of the period—possibly an opera singer, performer, or musician—popular within Parisian avant-garde circles during the early 1880s.

 Dimensions:

• Sheet: 31.8 x 46 cm
• Platemark: 14.3 x 22.1 cm
• Image borderline: 12.8 x 20.7 cm

In-Plate Lettering:

• Left: “SALON / DE / 1881”
• Lower right: “Ringel sc.t et aq.-f.”
• Right: “MEDAILLONS TERRE-CVITE” 

Note that each of the medals depicted in this etching are signed by the artist and dated according to the year originally inscribed on the terracotta.

Catalogue Raisonné & Archival References:

 

• The Paris Salon Directory: Documented as an original etcher's record of the artist's celebrated terracotta sculptures exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français of 1881.
• Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BnF): Prints of this subject and Ringel's wider portrait medallions are held in the permanent collection of the Cabinet des Estampes at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
• Beraldi Reference: This print belongs to Ringel d'Illzach's highly regarded graphic output as an engraver and etcher (graveur-aquafortiste), catalogued under the broader late-19th-century French printmaker indices by Henri Beraldi (Les Graveurs du XIXe Siècle).
• The Rothschild Collection Connection: The permanent collection at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tourcoing (Alphonse de Rothschild Donation) houses the sister series of these exact portraits cast as a master frame of twelve bronze medallions, making this etching the vital primary documentary record of those designs.

Price & Shipping:

AU$278 (approximately US$191.99 / €171.50 / £145.95), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

To acquire this rare and important proof-state etching showcasing some of the leading luminaries of late 19th-century French artistic life, please contact oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. Secure payment is handled via PayPal invoice for a smooth, protected transaction.