Prints and Principles

Most of the recent posts give details about individual prints and earlier posts discuss some of the subtle principles guiding artists in making images meaningful and memorable. For prints that are unsold, click "Items still available for sale" below. All other prints are no longer available. My contact email is oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com and my Instagram username is @printsandprinciples. I have created a separate blog to show my own work: https://printsandprinciplesjamesbrown.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 27 May 2025

Charles Waltner, “Tête de Bélier Mort”, 1873, after Constant Troyon (2nd copy)

Charles Waltner (aka Charles Albert Waltner) (1846–1925)

“Tête de Bélier Mort” (Dead Ram's Head), 1873, from the series of sixty-eight plates, “Tableaux de premier ordre anciens et modernes composant la galerie de M. John W. Wilson” (Ancient and modern first-rate paintings composing the gallery of Mr. John W. Wilson), after the painting of the same composition by Constant Troyon (1810–1865), printed by François Liénard (fl. c.1860s–1880s) and published in Paris by Jules Claye (aka Jules Alexandre Saturnin Claye) (1806–1886) in 1873.

I understand that the artworks from the former John W Wilson’s collection (which this etching and the others in the series reproduce) were exhibited in the Wilson’s gallery to showcase (transl.) “the artistic and literary Circle of Brussels. For the benefit of the poor of this city” (see Lambertus Vincentius Ledeboer 1878 “Catalogue raisonné de la bibliothèque de M. Lambertus Vincentius Ledeboer Bzn”, Rotterdam, Van Hengel & Eeltjes, pp. 139–40; https://archive.org/details/catalogueraison00ledegoog/page/n155/mode/2up).

Etching with drypoint on cream laid paper with full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 35.1 x 26 cm; (plate) 23.2 x 17.8 cm; (image borderline) 16.7 x 13.7 cm.

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline: (lower left corner) “Waltner 1873/ C. T.”

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “C.Troyon, pinx.”; (centre) “TÊTE DE BÉLIER MORT./ F^çois Liénard,Imp.Paris”; (right) “'Ch.Waltner, sc.”

Beraldi 42 (Henri Béraldi 1892, “Les Graveurs du XIXe Siècle: Guide de l'Amateur d'Estampes Modernes: Saint-Marcel–Zwinger”, vol. XII, Paris, Librairie L. Conquet, p. 262, cat. no. 42 [https://archive.org/details/lesgraveursdu19e12berauoft/page/262/mode/2up]).

The British Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art offer descriptions of this print: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1877-1013-1879; https://www.philamuseum.org/collection/object/7460.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression with wide margins in a near pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, losses, stains or signs of handling.

I am selling this visually arresting and symbolically potent etching projecting (for me) meanings including sacrifice—in the sense of the biblical reference to Abraham's sacrifice of a ram in place of his son—to feelings of respect for the animal’s fearless male determination, for AU$234 (equivalent to approximately US$151.76, EUR 133.33, or GBP 111.89 at the time of listing) and includes Express Mail Service (EMS) postage and handling to any worldwide destination. Please note that any import duties or taxes levied by the destination country, if any, are the responsibility of the buyer and are not included in the purchase price. Payment is requested in Australian dollars (AU$234).

If you are interested in purchasing this superbly executed and pictorially challenging etching, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Note that this is the second impression of this print that I have listed (the previous copy has been sold).

This print has been sold