Anders Zorn, “Portrait of William Ernst Mason”, 1900

Anders Zorn (also known as Anders Leonard Zorn) (1860–1920)

“Portrait of William Ernst Mason”— William Ernst 'Billy' Mason, American senator, 1900

Commentary on the Subject:

The Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa Tongarewa) offers a compelling insight into this portrait: “In her essay 'Anders Zorn's Etched Portraits of American Men, or the Trouble with French Masculinity', Professor Hollis Clayson writes of Zorn's 'signature attainment as a portraitist of prominent American leaders'. She looks closely at this etching, and states: 'During the artist's fourth trip to the United States, [Senator Billy] Mason sat for Zorn in his studio in Chicago in 1900. Placed in a non-specific place, rather than in an office or study, the pudgy [Senator] Mason with hooded eyes is a study in forceful concentration.' She notes 'the intensity of his oblique gaze, his beefy body and [disarranged] hair', while at the same time 'Zorn has given Mason a steady and statesmanlike mien... Mason's worn countenance, pursed lips and the upright axis of the head help to build the impression of a deadly serious man concentrating ferociously on behalf, we presume, of his constituency. Zorn has managed to fashion a likeness that aggregates formality and informality in one body. The generalized setting also makes Mason less specifically American, more of a thoughtful statesman tout court. Zorn's intense Billy Mason [exemplifies] a newly widespread, transnational norm of bourgeois masculinity at the turn of the century that emphasized single-minded immersion in work.' (p. 188).

Mason served for two stints as Senator for Illinois, opposing both the imperialism of President McKinley and the internationalism of President Woodrow Wilson. He was also apparently the originator of a new style of waistcoat that was uniquely [adapted] to stouter figures and very warm weather. While not immediately apparent in Zorn's portrait, the waistcoat is rendered as a wonderful, almost abstract weave of the etching needle's lines.” (https://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/object/39968)

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with subtle plate tone, printed on fine buff-coloured laid paper (featuring a partial Arches watermark), with the artist's signature and date integrated into the plate at the lower left. This specific impression is richly inked, crisp, and beautifully defined; the fine grain of intentional surface markings in the plate remains remarkably strong compared to the standard reference impressions held by the Rijksmuseum and the Art Institute of Chicago. Apart from historical pencil notations in the wide lower margin, the sheet is in near-pristine condition—entirely free of tears, pinholes, folds, abrasions, or foxing.

Note: The fine lettering across the top edge indicates this impression belongs to the celebrated edition published in Loys Delteil's definitive volume, "Le Peintre-Graveur Illustré", Tome IV, Paris, 1909.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 30.9 x 23.1 cm
• Platemark: 19.9 x 13.9 cm

In-Plate Lettering:

• Upper-left: “Le peintre Graveur illustré / T. IV.”
• Upper-centre: “SENATOR B MASON”
• Upper-right: “A. ZORN SC.”
• Lower left corner: [Artist’s monogram] “Zorn / Chicago 1900”

References:

• Asplund 159 ii/ii; Delteil 158 ii/ii; Hjert & Hjert 107 ii/ii
• Rijksmuseum: Object Number RP-P-1942-551 — https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200406638
• Art Institute of Chicago: Reference Number 1927.1932 —  https://www.artic.edu/artworks/41902/billy-mason

Price & Shipping:

AU$662 (approx. US$463.16 / €412.45 / £346.97), inclusive of worldwide express shipping. Please note that import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

To acquire this rare etching, please contact oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I am happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless and protected transaction.

This print has been sold

Jean-Baptiste de Poilly, “Pethus et Aria”, early 1700s

Jean-Baptiste de Poilly (1669–1728)

“Pethus et Aria” (or “Paetus and Arria”), early 1700s

Contextual Commentary:

This original 18th-century etching with engraving is from a celebrated suite of plates featuring antique classical sculptures, executed and published in Paris by Jean-Baptiste de Poilly.

The engraving depicts a Roman marble sculpture traditionally called “Pethus et Aria”, illustrating the tragic story of the Roman senator Caecina Paetus and his devoted wife, Arria the Elder, from 42 AD. Ordered to commit suicide by Emperor Claudius, Paetus hesitates to plunge the dagger into his chest. To give him courage, Arria famously stabbed herself first, uttering her final words documented by Pliny the Younger: “Paete, non dolet” (Paetus, it does not hurt).

Interestingly, in the 18th century, this ancient statue was widely misidentified as the Roman couple. It is actually the Hellenistic masterpiece known today as the “Ludovisi Gaul” (or “Galatian Suicide”), showing a Celtic warrior taking his own life and that of his wife to avoid capture by Roman forces.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with engraving on laid paper with small margins. The lower corners of the margins have been replenished, and the sheet has been professionally laid upon a backing sheet of archival-quality washi paper to provide structural support and a clean false margin for conservation presentation.

The impression is crisp, strong, and evenly inked with no sign of plate wear, retaining the tonal depth characteristic of a lifetime impression. Aside from a closed tear in the upper margin and the neat structural restorations to the lower corners, the sheet remains in excellent antique condition with no holes, structural folds, or significant foxing.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 30.9 x 22.3 cm
• Platemark: 28.0 x 19.6 cm
• Image borderline: 27.0 x 18.8 cm

In-Plate Lettering (below the image borderline):

• Left: “J.B. Poilly sculp.”
• Centre: “Pethus et Aria.”

References:

• Le Blanc 51 (Charles Le Blanc, “Manuel de l'amateur d'estampes, contenant un dictionnaire des graveurs de toutes les nations,” vol. 3, 1888, Paris, Émile Bouillon, p. 223, cat. no. 51 [Diverses statues antiques])
• Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection — https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/alma:99171303803408651

Price & Shipping:

AU$223 (approximately US$155.56 / €138.50 / £116.69), inclusive of worldwide express shipping. Please note that import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this graphically striking and historically fascinating engraving—capturing both classical Roman mythology and the golden age of French reproduction printmaking—please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. Payment is processed securely via PayPal invoice with worldwide tracked tracking provided upon shipping dispatch.

Salomon Gessner, “Hylas and the Nymphs”, 1771

Salomon Gessner (1730–1788)

“Hylas and the Nymphs” (also known as “Hylas ontvoerd door de nimfen” [Hylas abducted by the nymphs]), 1771

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on fine wove paper, bearing a partial “I. C. & R. IMHOF” watermark. Gessner’s etchings were first published between 1769 and 1771, and this plate is dated 1771. The watermark is associated with the Im-Hof paper mill in Basel and may indicate a later printing; however, it does not by itself establish a precise printing date.

Plate 10 (of 10) from Gessner’s series Idyllic Landscapes with Mythological Figures (Landschappen met mythologische figuren).

The impression is richly inked and evenly printed, with strong tonal contrast and excellent clarity in the dense foliage. The sheet is exceptionally clean and well preserved, with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or foxing.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 41.1 x 24.5 cm
• Platemark: 24.2 x 19.1 cm
• Image borderline: 22.4 x 18.2 cm

In-Plate Lettering (below the image borderline):

• Left: “S. Gessner. 1771.”
• Right: “10.”

References:

• Leemann-Van Elck 32 (Paul Leemann-van Elck, “Salomon Gessner: sein Lebensbild mit beschreibenden Verzeichnissen seiner literarischen und künstlerischen Werke”, 1930, Zurich, Orell Füssli, p. 268, cat. no. 32)
• National Gallery of Art (Washington): Accession Number 1999.100.14 — https://www.nga.gov/artworks/111489-hylas-and-nymphs
• Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam): Object Number RP-P-1941-506 — https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200196431  

Price & Shipping:

AU$241 (approximately US$167.48 / €148.97 / £125.64), inclusive of worldwide express shipping. Please note that import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this superb, beautifully preserved etching depicting Hylas—the young companion of Hercules—being drawn into the depths of a sacred spring by water nymphs, please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. Payment is handled smoothly and securely via PayPal invoice.