César de Cock, “Two Poplars by the Scie (Normandy)”, 1864

César de Cock (1823–1904)—Belgian painter and printmaker associated with the Barbizon School, student of Daubigny and Louis Français, and friends with Corot, Rousseau, Diaz and Troyon.

“Two Poplars by the Scie (Normandy)”, 1864.

Contextual Commentary:

Although this freely drawn etching is not explicitly described in Jean Adhémar’s 1949 Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800 (vol. 5), the general biographical entry offered by Adhémar provides wonderful context for the artist: (translated) “Painter and engraver, born and died in Ghent, 1823–1904. He was first a musician, then under the influence of his brother Xavier, he painted and engraved; settled in France since his youth and working with his wife Julia Stigzelius, under the influence of the masters of Barbizon, he exhibited landscapes at the Salon, from 1857” (p. 59). Notably, the artist's historic transition from music to visual art was driven by his progressively failing hearing.

The idyllic scene captured in this print represents the Scie Valley in Normandy, specifically the landscape surrounding Longueville-sur-Scie where de Cock frequently worked. In this coastal region, poplars (peupliers)—visible here as the two tall, slender silhouettes breaking the distant horizon—are a defining feature of the flat meadows running alongside the riverbanks. These trees were traditionally planted throughout northern France to help stabilise marshy river soil and to serve as a reliable source of timber.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with delicate plate tone on fine cream laid paper with generously wide margins. The impression is richly inked, strong, crisp, and in near-pristine condition, being entirely free of tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 22.2 x 31.1 cm
• Platemark: 9.6 x 12.6 cm
• Image borderline: 8.1 x 12.2 cm

In-Plate Lettering:

• Below the image borderline: (lower right) “Cesar De Cock. 64”

References:

• Jean Adhémar, Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800: CIDOINE–DAUMIER, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Département des Estampes, 1949, vol. 5, p. 59 — Available via Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Gallica): https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5488526m/f71.item
• For a comparative print by the artist, see the British Museum: Inventory number 1866,0210.239 — https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1866-0210-239
• For previously listed prints by de Cock on my blog, see: https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2024/12/cesar-de-cock-screen-of-trees-with.html  and https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2025/02/cesar-de-cock-forest-stream-with.html

Price & Shipping:

AU$267 (approximately US$186.13 / €165.95 / £140.85), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

To acquire this sensitively executed etching exemplifying the rustic spirit of the Barbizon School and the mid-19th century Etching Revival, please contact oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. Secure payment is handled via PayPal invoice for a smooth, protected transaction.