Charles Daubigny’s etching, “The Ray of Sunlight”, 1860, after Jacob van Ruisdael

Charles Daubigny (aka Charles François Daubigny) (1817–1878)

“The Ray of Sunlight” (aka; “Le Coup de Soleil”; “The Burst of Sunshine”), 1860, after Jacob van Ruisdael 's (aka Jacob van Ruysdael; Jacob Isaaksz van Ruisdael; Jacob de Goyer) (1628/9–1682) 1665 painting in the Musée du Louvre, Paris (inv. no. 1820) (see https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jacob_Isaaksz._van_Ruisdael_003.jpg).

Etching and drypoint printed in brown ink on cream chine collé on heavy wove paper, trimmed slightly within the platemark and backed with a support sheet providing wide margins.

Size: (support sheet) 51.7 x 54.6 cm; (sheet) 39.3 x 42.8 cm; (image borderline) 33.3 x 39.9 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “RUISDAEL PINXT.”; (centre) “CHALCOGRAPHIE IMPÉRIALE DU LOUVRE./ LE COUP DE SOLEIL.”; (right) “DAIBIGNY SCULPT.”

State iv (of iv) with the addition of the title and publication details.

Melot D93 S4 (Michel Melot 1978, “Graphic Art of the Pre-Impressionists”, New York, Harry N. Abrams, p, 279, cat. no. D 93 [4]); Delteil 93 (“Le Peintre-Graveur Illustré (XIXe et XXe siècles”).

Michel Melot (1978) offers the following insights about the background events in Daubigny’s life leading up to the execution of this plate:

“The First Class Medal awarded Daubigny in the Salon of 1853 won him the privilege of figuring on the list of artists entitled to receive commissions from the Chalcographie. … In 1855 he won another medal, this one Second Class, and was given another task by that government agency for the arts, again to reproduce a Ruysdael, a task that seemed to call for his talents. … Ordered in 1855, the engraving was not complete and delivered to the Chalcographie until 1860, and the print was exhibited in the Salon of 1861 (as no. 3698)” (p. 279).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Elevated view over landscape with fortifications on rock lit by sun, overlooking river, with figures on path near bridge in foreground to left; after Jacob van Ruisdael” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1876-0510-288).

Note that Pierre Laurent (aka Pierre François Laurent) (1739–1809) also made a reproductive etching (with engraving) of Ruisdael’s painting (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1868-0612-368).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression trimmed slightly within the platemark and laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. The sheet is in a very good condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains.

I am selling this large and magnificent etching executed by one of the luminaries of the Barbizon School that foreshadowed Impressionism, for the total cost of AU$289 (currently US$198.73/EUR196.14/GBP170.01 at the time of 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 warmly glowing etching which is one of Daubigny’s major commissioned works, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.