Adolphe Martial Potémont (aka
Adolphe Martial; Adolphe Théodore Jules Martial Potémont) (1828–1883)
“Pluie et Soleil” (Rain and Sun), 1874, after Antoine
Chintreuil’s (1814–1873) painting, “Pluie et Soleil”, 1814–73, exhibited at
the Paris Salon of 1873 (see page 48, cat. no. 294 [https://ia803002.us.archive.org/30/items/cataloguesofpari1873acad/cataloguesofpari1873acad.pdf] and
now in the collection of the Musée d'Orsay (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Antoine_Chintreuil--Pluie_et_soleil.jpg),
published and printed by Alfred Cadart (1828–1875) in Paris in 1874 as
an illustration to “La Vie et l'Oeuvre de Chintreuil” (The Life and Work of
Chintreuil), by Albert de la Fizelière et al.
(see https://bibliotheque-numerique.inha.fr/idurl/1/18539
& https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1877-0414-708-749).
Interestingly, in the description of
Chintreuil’s painting that Potémont’s etching reproduces, the Musée d'Orsay offers
the following accolade given to it by a critic of the Paris Salon of 1873, Castagnary—a
defender of Courbet and the realists: “…this Effect of rain and sun on the
surface of this marsh where a few oxen graze on the short grass is truly
admirable and it has an equal in the incandescent sky which drowns the entire
landscape of low tide with its golden light” (https://www.musee-orsay.fr/fr/oeuvres/pluie-et-soleil-16668).
Etching on fine wove paper, trimmed with a
margin around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.
Size: (sheet) 14.9 x 26.3 cm; (image
borderline) 11 x 23 cm.
Inscribed in plate below the image borderline:
(left) “Imp Cadart”; (centre) “[artist’s monogram]/ PLUIE ET SOLEIL”; (right) “[indistinct]
p. 24”.
Condition: a strong and well-printed
impression, trimmed with a margin around the image borderline. There is a restored
tear in the lower margin at left-of-centre and a lump/unevenness in the paper
on the platemark at right, otherwise, the print is in a good condition with no
significant stains and is laid onto a support of archival (millennium
quality) washi paper providing wide margins.
I am selling this graphically striking etching
of a dramatically dazzling and luminous effect of light, clouds and rain above
marshlands punctuated with grazing cattle and a running herdsman, for AU$197 in
total (currently US$129.60/EUR119.59/GBP102.65 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 finely
etched landscape exemplifying the interest at the time in France in light and
atmosphere heralding the dawn of Impressionism, please contact me
(oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make
the payment easy.
