Léon Lhermitte, “Portrait of Charles Daubigny”, 1875

Léon Lhermitte (also known as Léon Augustin Lhermitte) (1844-1925)

“Portrait of Charles Daubigny”, 1875

Technical Details & Condition:

Drypoint on buff-colored laid paper with “Arches” watermark. Printed in Paris by Abraham Beillet (active 1850–1876). This portrait depicts the renowned Barbizon artist Charles Daubigny (also known as Charles François Daubigny) (1817–1878). It served as the frontispiece to Frédéric Henriet’s catalogue raisonné of Daubigny’s graphic work, “Daubigny et son Œuvre Gravé”, published in Paris. See: https://archive.org/details/cdaubignyetsonuv00henr/page/n13/mode/2up

Note: Although Henriet’s later 1905 catalogue retrospectively records the publication date as 1874, bibliographic records confirm the official release as 1875.

Henriet (1905) offers the following insight about this portrait (translated): 

“Léon Lhermitte drew and engraved this copperplate after the charcoal portrait he made in the studio of the famous landscape painter (rue Fontaine-Saint-Georges), who kindly posed for him. The artist is depicted at his easel, wearing the beret he wore in his studio.” (p. 71; see: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k96176869/f123)

The impression is strong, crisp, and evenly printed with wide margins. Aside from faint discoloration in the upper right of the image, the sheet remains in excellent condition—free of tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or significant stains and handling marks.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 27.4 x 19.8 cm
• Platemark: 16.8 x 11 cm
• Image borderline: 12.1 x 10 cm

In-Plate Lettering

• Upper left: “L. Lhermitte”

(Below the image):

• Left of centre: “L. Lhermitte del. et sc.”
• Centre: “C. DAUBIGNY”
• Right: “Imp. Beillet Paris”

References:

• Henriet 18 (Frédéric Henriet, “Les Eaux-Fortes de Léon Lhermitte”, 1905, Paris, A. Lemerre, p. 71, cat. no. 18. Although Henriet lists the source publication date as 1874, the actual imprint is from 1875.)
• Beraldi 14 (Henri Beraldi, “Les Graveurs Du Xixe Siecle:  LAEMLEIN - MÉCOU”, Vol. IX, 1889, Paris, Librairie L. Conquet, p. 179, cat. no. 14)
• MAH Musée d'art et d'histoire, Ville de Genève: Inventory Number E 2017-1714 (https://www.mahmah.ch/collection/oeuvres/portrait-de-daubigny/e-2017-1714)

Price & Shipping:

AU$245 (approx. US$171.09 / €149.53 / £127.06), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if applicable) are the buyer’s responsibility.

To acquire this historically significant portrait of one of the leading artists of the Barbizon School—surprisingly, this portrait does not appear to be in the online collection of the British Museum—please contact oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I am happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless, protected transaction.

This print has been sold