John Sell Cotman, “Plate 47. Study of a Male Figure”, 1813–38

John Sell Cotman (1782–1842)

“Plate 47. Study of a Male Figure” (also known as “A Study”), 1813–38

Contextual Commentary:

This etching is based on Rembrandt’s page of studies executed between 1634 and 1638, “Study of the actor Willem Ruyter as a countryman, with alternative study of his head, and a bust-length study of a figure (c.q. kan?) holding a jug”, held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (acc. no. DYCE.435); see https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1023936/study-of-the-actor-willem-drawing-rembrandt-van-rijn/.

The V & A in its description of this drawing offers the following insights: “Rembrandt made several studies of the famous actor Willem Ruyter. The smock and cap are probably the costume of a country peasant worn by Ruyter in a popular play of the time. Rembrandt tinted the paper light brown to contrast with the dark ink he used for the drawing. The smudges of ink suggest that he used is finger to rub out areas with which he was unhappy.” (op. cit.)

Remarkably, V & A records indicate that Cotman himself likely owned this original Rembrandt drawing in London around the time he produced this plate. Furthermore, while most other plates in the wider series utilise soft-ground etching to mimic graphite sketches, Cotman opted here for a crisp, traditional line-etching technique—a deliberate choice that preserves the sharp pen-and-ink quality of the Rembrandt masterwork in his possession.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on heavy buff-coloured wove paper with full margins and the original deckle edge on the left. Plate 47 from the 1838 Liber Studiorum published by Henry George Bohn. Strong, near-faultless impression in near-pristine condition, free of defects.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 47.0 x 31.4 cm
• Image borderline: 17.0 x 10.7 cm

In-Plate lettering:

• Upper right corner: “47”

References:

• Popham 340: Arthur Ewart Popham “The Etchings of John Sell Cotman” in Print Collector's Quarterly, vol. 9, 1922, p. 271, cat. no. 340 — Available via Archive.org: https://archive.org/details/printcollectorsq93carr/page/270/mode/2up
• British Museum, museum number 1859,0528.195: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1859-0528-195

Price & Shipping:

AU$284 (approx. US$198.48 / €177.17 / £147.91) with worldwide express shipping included. Any applicable import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

To Purchase or Enquire:

Contact oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com for questions or a PayPal invoice.

Please note: The scan contrast has been digitally enhanced to show the print’s fine details more clearly. As a result, the digital image tones may not fully reflect the subtle tonal qualities of the physical original.

John Sell Cotman, “Plate 45: Study of a Sailor”, 1813–1838

John Sell Cotman (1782–1842)

“Plate 45: Study of a Sailor”, 1813–1838, the final plate in the series, “Liber Studiorum”, published in London 1838 by Henry George Bohn (1796–1884) in “Liber Studiorum: A Series of Sketches and Studies by John Sell Cotman, Esp.”

Etching on cream wove paper with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 33.9 x 28.8 cm; (plate) 10.8 x 8.1 cm; (image borderline) 8.3 x 5.9 cm.

Inscribed in plate: (outside the image borderline at upper right corner) “48” (within the image borderline at upper right corner) “[artist’s monogram]”.

Popham 341 (Arthur Ewart Popham 1922, "The Etchings of John Sell Cotman." Print Collector's Quarterly, vol. 9, p. 271, cat. no. 341 [https://archive.org/details/printcollectorsq93carr/page/270/mode/2up]).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print (not reproduced): “Plate 48. Study of a sailor, standing to right, wearing a broad-rimmed cap, breeches, and canvas bag around his waist and shoulder, carrying a coil of rope on a double-pronged wooden stick over his shoulder; proof before letters./ Etching” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1859-0528-192 [BM nv. no. 1859,0528.192])

Note that the British Museum holds a related graphite drawing with a light gum wash in the reverse direction, showing a “squat sailor dressed in knee breeches carrying a coil of rope over one shoulder on a forked pole”; see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1902-0514-211 (BM inv. no. 1902,0514.211).

Condition: a strong impression with a portion of the printer’s thumbprint at upper right, otherwise, a faultless impression with generous margins in pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this extraordinarily well-preserved and rare etching by one of the acknowledged masters of the English landscape, for AU$320 (equivalent to approximately US$206.41, EUR 183.64, or GBP 154.45 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$320).

If you are interested in purchasing this fine study of an early nineteenth century sailor, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

David Lucas’ mezzotint, “Hampstead Heath, Harow in the Distance”, 1845

David Lucas (1802-1881)

“Hampstead Heath, Harow in the Distance”, 1845, after John Constable’s (1776–1837) painting, “View of Hampstead Heath. Child’s Hill, Harrow in the distance”, 1824 (see https://rkd.nl/en/explore/images/288850), plate 10 from a series of forty mezzotints published by Henry George Bohn (1796–1884) in 1855 in “English Landscape Scenery: A Series of Forty Mezzotinto Engravings on Steel, by David Lucas. From Pictures Painted by John Constable, R.A.”. Note that this mezzotint was republished in 1993 with the title removed (see https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/constable-lucas-hampstead-heath-harrow-in-the-distance-t06757).

Mezzotint (steel plate) with drypoint printed on heavy wove paper.

Size: (sheet) 27.6 x 32.8 cm; (plate) 17.6 x 21 cm; (image borderline) 14 x 17.8 cm.

Numbered in plate above the image borderline: (right) ”10”.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “John Constable. R.A.”; (centre) “Hampstead Heath, Harrow in the distance”; (right) “David Lucas.”

Shirley 47 (Andrew Shirley 1930, “The Published Mezzotints of David Lucas After John Constable, R.A.”, Clarendon Press); Hill 1985, no.28 (see https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/constable-lucas-hampstead-heath-harrow-in-the-distance-t04073).

See also the description of this print from a trial state offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1846-1114-34.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression. Beyond minor marks in the margin, the sheet is in a good condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains.

I am selling this mezzotint translation of Constable painting of the same scene—note that this print is far more than a reproduction of Constable’s painting, as Lucas has introduced some significant changes such as the addition of grasses at lower left—for AU$236 (currently US$152.70/EUR153.30/GBP134.22 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.

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

John Sell Cotman’s etching, “A Study”, 1813

John Sell Cotman (1782–1842)

“A Study” (aka “Landscape with Man Seated on a Riverbank”), 1813 (inscribed in plate), plate 16 from the series of forty-nine plates, “Liber Studiorum”, published in London in 1838 by Henry George Bohn (1795/6–1884) in "Liber Studiorum: A Series of Sketches and Studies by John Sell Cotman, Esp."

Etching on cream wove paper with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 34.1 x 30.2 cm; (plate) 10.8 x 8.1 cm; (image borderline) 10.4 x 7.7 cm.

Inscribed in plate: (lower left corner) "JSC/ 1813"; (lower centre) "A Study.”; (upper right corner) “16”.

Popham 310 (Arthur Ewart Popham 1922, "The Etchings of John Sell Cotman." Print Collector's Quarterly, vol. 9, p. 270, cat. no. 310 [https://archive.org/details/printcollectorsq93carr/page/270/mode/2up]).

See also the descriptions offered by The Tate, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Fine Art Museums of San Francisco:

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/cotman-a-study-t11502; https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/789408; https://art.famsf.org/john-sell-cotman/study-landscape-man-seated-riverbank-plate-16-liber-studiorum.

Condition: faultless impression with generous margins in pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this extraordinarily well preserved and rare etching by one of the acknowledged masters of the English landscape, for a total cost of AU$320 (currently US$248.45/EUR203.09/GBP174.47 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 romantic view of the English countryside with a castle in the distance and a resting barefooted traveller wearing a classical tunic in the foreground, 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 

John Sell Cotman’s soft ground etching, “Conway Castle. N. Wales”, 1838

John Sell Cotman (1782–1842)

“Conway Castle. N. Wales”, 1838, plate 31 from the series of forty-nine plates, “Liber Studiorum”, published in London in 1838 by Henry George Bohn (1795/6–1884) in "Liber Studiorum: A Series of Sketches and Studies by John Sell Cotman, Esp."

Soft-ground etching with dot roulette on cream wove paper with wide margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 45.7 x 30.5 cm; (plate) 18.8 x 12.6 cm.

Inscribed on plate below the image: (left of centre) " Conway Castle. N. Wales."; (right) "J.S.Cotman.”

Numbered on plate: (upper right corner) "31."

Popham 324 (Arthur Ewart Popham 1922, "The Etchings of John Sell Cotman." Print Collector's Quarterly, vol. 9, p. 271, cat. no. 324).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Plate 31. View of a round tower of Conw[a]y Castle, projecting outward from a circular crenellated wall; ruined section of interior walls in foreground at a lower level, and adjacent wall with two arched openings overgrown with vegetation at right; three flying birds approaching from shrubs at right” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1859-0528-177).

See also the descriptions offered by The Tate, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Fine Art Museums of San Francisco—the latter offers the interesting insight that the crumbled ruins in the foreground were once a “tall dungeon.”

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/cotman-conway-castle-north-wales-t11517;

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/789451;

https://art.famsf.org/john-sell-cotman/conway-castle-n-wales-plate-31-liber-studiorum.

Condition: faultless impression in pristine condition (i.e., there are no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling) with full margins as published.

I am selling this extraordinarily well preserved and rare soft-ground etching by one of the acknowledged masters of the English landscape, for a total cost of AU$320 (currently US$248.43/EUR203.34/GBP181.62 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.

If you are interested in purchasing this wonderful worm’s-eye view of Conway Castle—a view that the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco describes as a “story book view”—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.