Frederick Christian Lewis (1779–1856)
“Profil de
Jeune Fille”, 1870 (?), after a crayon drawing by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769–30),
published in the “Gazette des Beaux-Arts” and printed by A Clément (fl. c.1887–92)
in Paris.
Stipple
engraved and either printed in colour employing the Baxter process (viz. “a
mixed variety of printmaking, patented by George Baxter in 1835, using multiple
wood-engraved blocks printed in colour over an intaglio key-plate” BM) or
finished in watercolour at the time of publication. The print is trimmed close
to the image borderline and mounted with conservator’s rice paste onto a heavy acid-free
support sheet which has been lined onto a conservator’s support sheet of the
finest (millennium quality) washi paper.
Size: (with
support sheet mount) 40.3 x 33 cm; (trimmed sheet) 23.5 x 16.2; (image
borderline) 22.1 x 15.1 cm
Lettered within
the image borderline: (lower left) “Th. Lawrence del.” / “Gazette des
Beaux-Arts.”; (lower centre) “PROFIL DE JEUNE FILLE”; (lower right) “F.C. Lewis
sc.” / “Imp. A. Clèment_Paris”
Condition: The
print is trimmed close to the image borderline and mounted with conservator’s
rice paste onto a heavy acid-free support sheet which has been lined onto a
conservator’s support sheet of the finest (millennium quality) washi paper. The
mounted sheet is in faultless condition.
I am selling
this exceptionally beautiful coloured engraving for the total cost
of AU$83 (currently US$63.50/EUR58.72/GBP49.08 at the time of this listing)
including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.
If you are
interested in purchasing this subtle portrait executed with sublime skill, please contact me
(oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make
the payment easy.
This superb print has given me a big headache—and I don’t even suffer from
headaches! The problem all stems from the printing process employed and when
the print was published.
At first glance the lettered publication details below
the image tell me that it is an engraving and close examination under a loupe
confirms that this is the case, as I can clearly see areas of fine stippled
hatching on the young girl’s eyebrows and the corner of her lips. At this
point, I would normally assume that the engraving has been finished in
watercolour. This is not a real issue as the large editions involved in James
Sowerby’s thirty-six volumes with 2,592 hand-coloured plates of British plants
testifies. My point of consternation is whether this is indeed an engraving that
has been hand-finished in watercolour or coloured by the Baxter process “using
multiple wood-engraved blocks printed in colour over an intaglio key-plate”
(BM).
There are other
niggling problems for me. I was advised by the original owner of this print
that it was published in the famous “Gazette des Beaux-Arts” in 1870. I am
certain that the seller was right about the publication as this is inscribed on
the plate, but when I looked online to confirm that the print was featured in
the Gazette of 1870 I could not find it listed in the indexes for that year. To be honest,
however, I had my doubt about 1870 as the year that this print was published,
because the printer, A Clément, was active as a printer at the much later
period from around 1887 to 1892.
If there is a
helpful soul that wishes to share their knowledge about this print I would be
very thankful. This is a very beautiful print and it needs to be properly
documented.
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