Charles Jacque, “Les Liseurs”, 1844

Charles Jacque (also known as Charles Émile Jacque) (1813–1894)

“Les Liseurs” (The Readers) Also known as “Liseurs (effet de lumière)” and “Chanteurs Nocturnes”, 1844

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on wove paper with wide margins. Printed in Paris by Auguste Delâtre (also known as Auguste Marie Delâtre, 1822–1907) in 1853 (dated by the period the printer occupied the inscribed address). The print is numbered “5” from a series of etchings by Jacque executed between 1843 and 1845 and published by the Alliance des Arts (Marchant), bearing the ink stamp “555” in the lower-right corner. Although Guiffrey’s (1868) catalogue of Jacque’s prints does not record this specific lettered state, Guiffrey notes that in the second state, engraved lines were added to the figure (see pp. 38–39).

The impression is richly inked and well-printed, showing slight signs of plate wear to the more distant face. The sheet remains in near pristine condition—entirely free of tears, holes, folds, or significant stains.

British Museum Description:

“The readers: a man seen half-length, standing in the dark, his face lit by candlelight, reading a letter and smiling; another figure reads over his shoulder; finished state, with hatching on the neck and the forehead of the main figure, with production and publication detail. 1844” (BM no. 1889,0608.24).

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 32 x 24.6 cm
• Platemark: 14.6 x 14.5 cm
• Image borderline: 12 x 12 cm

Plate Lettering:

• Below the image (left): “5. (Alliance des Arts) Merchant, r. de Rivoli, 140 / [scratched signature] CH. JACQUE”
• Below the image (right of centre): “Imp Aug Delatre Rue de la Bucherie, 6”

References:

•  Guiffrey 20 (J.-J. Guiffrey, “L’Oeuvre de Ch. Jacque: Catalogue de ses Eaux-Fortes et Pointes Sèches,” 1868, Paris, Lemaire, pp. 38–39, cat. no. 20 [Note: this lettered state is undocumented])
• British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1889-0608-24  
• IFF 64 (Jean Adhémar & Jacques Lethève, “Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800: HUMBLOT–JYG,” vol. 11, 1960, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, p. 103, cat. no. 64)— https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5489301d/f115.item    
• Beraldi 20 (Henri Beraldi, “Les Graveurs du Dix-Neuvième Siècle: GUÉRIN–LACOSTE,” vol. VIII, 1889, Paris, Librairie L. Conquet, p. 177, cat. no. 20)

Price & Shipping:

AU$254 (approximately US$179.78 / €154.83 / £133.70), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you’re interested in this dramatically bold 19th-century depiction of candlelight illuminating two figures reading—note in particular the clusters of parallel strokes above the flare of the flame, suggesting not only the three-dimensional form of the ball of light but also connoting a sense of almost atmospheric turbidity as it fades into darkness—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I’ll gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

Jules Jacques Veyrassat, “Le Marché aux Chevaux”, 1858, after Rosa Bonheur

Jules Jacques Veyrassat (1828–1893)
“Le Marché aux Chevaux” (The Horse Fair), 1853
after the painting (1852–1855) held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art by Rosa Bonheur (also known as Marie Rosa Bonheur) (1822–1899): https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435702.

Regarding the painting that this etching translates into line, the MET offers the following insights: “This, Bonheur’s best-known painting, shows the horse market held in Paris on the tree-lined Boulevard de l’Hôpital, near the asylum of Salpêtrière, which is visible in the left background. For a year and a half Bonheur sketched there twice a week, dressing as a man to discourage attention.” (see op. cit.)

Technical Details & Condition:
Etching on buff chine collé, trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline (with loss of the title and publication details) and laid upon a support sheet of archival-quality washi paper, providing support to the print and generously wide margins.
This print was published in Paris by Marchant (also known as Alliance des Arts) (fl. c.1830–1880).
The impression is richly inked and well-printed (near flawless). The sheet has minor chipping at the lower-left corner of the margin.

Dimensions:
• Sheet: 12.6 x 25.8 cm
• Image borderline: 11.9 x 24.9 cm

Plate Lettering:
• Lower left: “Rosa Bonheur 1853.”
• lower right: “Veryressat sc.”

References:
• Beraldi 14 (Henri Béraldi 1892, Les Graveurs du XIXe Siècle: Guide de l'Amateur d'Estampes Modernes: SAINT-MARCEL–ZWINGER, vol. 7, Paris, Librairie L. Conquet, p. 227, cat. no. 14)
• See also the description of this print offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1916-0411-3.

Price & Shipping:
AU$273 (approximately US$178.41 / €153.88 / £134.76), including worldwide express shipping.
Please note: Import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this lively scene of horses at market — a view Rosa Bonheur likened to “her own Parthenon frieze” (see the MET URL above) — please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I am happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

Charles Jacque, “Mendiant”, 1846

Charles Jacque (aka Charles Émile Jacque) (1813–1894)

“Mendiant” (Beggar) (aka “Mendiant Devant une Barrière”[Beggar in Front of a Barrier]), 1846, printed by Auguste Delâtre (aka Auguste Marie Delâtre) (1822–1907) and published in a later state in Paris by Marchant (aka Alliance des Arts) (fl.c.1830–1880) (see BM inv. no. 1889,0608.173).

Etching on cream chine collé on heavy wove paper with generously wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 32.7 x 24 cm; (platemark) 11.6 x 9.1 cm; (chine collé) 11.5 x 8.8 cm; (image borderline) 9.8 x 8.3 cm.

Inscribed in plate: (upper-right corner) “Ch. Jacque”; (below the image borderline at right) “Imp. Aug Delâtre Rue de la Bucheri[e]”.

State v (of vi) before the addition of the address of Marchant as the publisher.

Guiffrey 119 (J.-J. Guiffrey 1868, “L’Oeuvre de Ch. Jacque: Catalogue de ses Eaux-Fortes et Pointes Sèches”, Paris, Lemaire, pp. 72–73, cat. no. 119 [see https://archive.org/details/luvredechjacque00guifgoog/page/n84/mode/2up]); IFF 164 (Jean Adhémar & Jacques Lethève 1960, “Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800: HUMBLOT–JYG”, vol. 11, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, p 108, cat. no. 164 [see https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5489301d/f120.image]).

Guiffrey (1868) offers the following description of this print: (transl.) “A beggar, his head covered with a hat, a stick in his left hand, a basket in his right arm, advances towards the left with his back to us. Behind him, a barrier and a small tree; on the left, a background of trees and birds in the sky. 1846.” (pp. 72–73).

See also the description of this print offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1889-0608-173 (BM inv. no. 1889,0608.173).

Condition: a strong and faultless impression with wide margins in an excellent (near pristine) condition with no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions or significant stains.

I am selling this very beautiful etching of a travelling beggar struggling to survive that to my eyes could be seen as an iconic image of rural life in nineteenth century France, for AU $276 in total (currently US $173.52/ EUR 166.75/ GBP 138.69 at the time of posting this print) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU $276) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this superb etching executed with confident and quickly laid marks, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold

Charles Jacque, “Paysage et Animaux”, 1845

Charles Jacque (aka Charles Émile Jacque) (1813–1894)

“Paysage et Animaux” (Guiffrey title) (aka “Landscape with Man on Horseback, Pigs and Cow”), 1845, from a series of twenty plates published between 1845 and 1850, printed by Auguste Delâtre (aka Auguste Marie Delâtre) (1822–1907) and published in Paris by the Alliance des Arts (aka Marchant) (1830–fl.c1880).

Etching, drypoint and engraving on buff coloured chine collé China paper on heavy wove paper with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 23.9 x 31.5 cm; (plate) 12.1 x 16.8? cm; (chine collé) 8 x 12.1 cm; (image borderline) 6.8 x 11.1 cm.

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline: (upper left) “Ch Jacque”.

Inscribed in plate below the image borderline: (left) “[...5?]”; (centre) “Imp. par Aug. Delâtre F.bourg Poissonnière 147”; (right) “alliance des Arts R. de Rivoli 140”.

State iii (of iii/possibly iv?) with the addition of oblique lines in the sky representing rain. Note that there may be a fourth state as the BM holds a late impression with the publication details for the Alliance des Arts repositioned on the left (see BM inv. no. 1889,0608.109).

Guiffrey 82 (J.-J. Guiffrey 1868, “L’Oeuvre de Ch. Jacque: Catalogue de ses Eaux-Fortes et Pointes Sèches”, Paris, Lemaire, pp. 60–61, cat. no. 82 [https://archive.org/details/luvredechjacque00guifgoog/page/n73/mode/2up]); IFF 229 (Jean Adhémar & Jacques Lethève 1960, “Inventaire du Fonds Francais Apres 1800”, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, vol. 11, cat. no. 229).

Guiffrey (1868) offers the following description of this print: (transl.) “At the edge of a stream planted with willows and brushwood, a young boy leans over his stopped horse, a real plough horse, without saddle or bridle. In front of him, to the left, advance three pigs and a cow. At the top of the sky, three birds; behind, a larger herd” (pp. 60–61).

Condition: a strong and well-printed early impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate with generously wide margins. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds or significant stains.

I am selling this very beautiful Rembrandtesque etching of a shaft of light illuminating a boy on horseback accompanying a sounder of swine as the sky darkens with rain, for AU$279 in total (currently US$181.87/ EUR168.35/ GBP142.86 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$279) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this small jewel of an etching, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold