Théophile Chauvel’s etching, “Cows near the Watermill”, 1861

Théophile Chauvel (aka Théophile Narcisse Chauvel) (1831–1909)

“Cows near the Watermill” (aka “Les Vaches près du moulin à eau” [Delteil title]), 1861, plate 3 from a suite of six etchings (Folio 1) published by Cadart et Chevalier (Alfred Cadart and Félix Chevalier) (fl.1861–1863) and printed by Auguste Delâtre (aka Auguste Marie Delâtre) (1822–1907) in Paris.

This is one of Chauvel’s earliest etchings and, like most of his first prints, it is likely to have been after what Loys Delteil (1900) describes as a painted study (“une étude peinte”) (see https://archive.org/details/thophilechauvel00deltgoog/page/n38/mode/2up?q=Del%C3%A2tre).

Etching on laid paper with wide margins backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 34 x 49.1 cm; (plate) 14.7 x 21.8 cm; (image borderline) 13.6 x 21.3 cm.

Scratch-lettered (almost illegible) in plate below the image borderline: (left) “T. Chauvel 61”; (right) “Imp Delatre Paris”.

State ii (of ii) with the addition of the publication details for Delâtre.

Delteil 4 (Loys Delteil 1900, “Théophile Chauvel; catalogue raisonné de son œuvre gravé et lithographié”, Paris, L'Estampe et l'Affiche, p. 27, cat. no. 4 [but no. 3 in the series]).

Condition: a strong impression with generously wide margins and laid onto a sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. Beyond minor surface marks and abrasions to the lower left corner of the margin, the sheet is in an excellent (almost pristine) condition with no significant stains.

I am selling this early etching by Chauvel showing a clear influence of the Barbizon School in his choice of an everyday rural subject and the looseness of his handling, for the total cost of AU$232 (currently US$162.50/EUR143.58/GBP122.78 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 freely executed etching—possibly based on a painted sketch that the artist made in the field or inscribed on the plate directly in front of the scene as was the approach often adopted by the Barbizon artists—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.