Alphonse Charles Masson’s etching, “Eugène Delacroix”, c1860

Alphonse Charles Masson (1814-1898)

“Eugène Delacroix” (Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix [1798–1863]), c1860, published in Paris in the art periodical, “L'Artiste”, and printed by Brébant (fl. c1858–1865).

Etching with engraving printed in a warm black ink on chine collé on wove paper backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 30.1 x 22.1 cm; (plate) 28.1 x 21 cm; (image borderline) 19.5 x 16.1 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “A. Masson del. et sc^t.”; (centre) “EUGÈNE DELACROIX”; (right) “Imp. Brebant. 7, Rue de Lancry. Paris”.

Beraldi 4 (Henri Béraldi 1889, “Les graveurs du XIXe siècle: Guide de l'amateur d'estampes modernes: LAEMLEIN–MÉCOU”, vol. 9, Paris, Librairie L. Conquet, p. 246, cat. no. 4 [Planches pour “L’Artiste”]).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “Portrait of French painter Eugène Delacroix, half-length, sitting directed to right, looking to front, his right hand tucked inside his waistcoat; published in ‘L'Artiste’ (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1901-1022-217).

Condition: a well-printed impression with small margins around the platemark and laid upon a sheet of millennium quality washi paper providing wide margins. Beyond minor toning (handling marks) on the corners, the sheet is in a very good condition with no significant issues.

I am selling this historically significant etching of the famous artist, Eugène Delacroix, for AU$206 (currently US$141.11/EUR139.04/GBP117.97 at the time of posting 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 sensitively executed portrait of one of the major nineteenth century artists—note that Masson’s etching shows a interesting change in the position of Delacroix’s hand from that shown in Masson’s preparatory drawing (c1854) held in the Louvre (see https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010455773)—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 

Pierre Guillaume Merzbacher’s three engravings, “L’Amour”, “La Fortune” and “L’Amitié”, 1857, after Bouguereau

Pierre Guillaume Merzbacher (1815–c1872)

(left) “L’Amour” (Love), (centre) “La Fortune” (Fortune), (right) “L’Amitié” (Friendship), 1857, three engravings on cream chine collé (China) on heavy wove paper, printed by Brébant (fl.c1857–1865) and published in “L’Artiste”, Part 2, 1958, after paintings of the same composition by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905) that were exhibited in the Salon of 1857 and currently in the Résidence de l'Ambassadeur des États-Unis d’Amérique, Paris (see the interesting online article regarding the restoration of Bouguereau’s “L’Amitié” and photographs of this painting in the Ambassador’s residence: http://www.cecilecharpentier.fr/fr/usa.php?lieu=residence).

Note: archive.org offers online viewing (and free-of-charge downloading) of the publication in which these engravings feature; see the prints in their contexts with the following links:

“L’Amour” (https://archive.org/details/lartistepart00unkngoog/page/n236/mode/2up);

“La Fortune” (https://archive.org/details/lartistepart00unkngoog/page/n44/mode/2up);

“L’Amitié” (https://archive.org/details/lartistepart00unkngoog/page/n144/mode/2up).

Each of the three engravings are titled on plate below the image borderline at centre and are lettered with the following publication details: (above the image borderline) “L’ARTISTE […] SALON DE 1857”; (below the image borderline) “BOUGUEREAU. PINXT. […(title)/] Imp. Brébant, 7 rue de Lancry_Paris […] MERZBACHER. SC.”

Size of each engraving:

“L’Amour” (sheet) 31.3 x 19.8 cm; (plate) 25.9 x 18.3 cm; (image borderline) 22.2 x 11.2 cm;

“La Fortune” (sheet) 31.2 x 21.1 cm; (plate) 29.3 x 19.9 cm; (image borderline) 25.2 x 12.5 cm;

“L’Amitié” (sheet) 31.2 x 19.9 cm; (plate) 27.7 x [?] cm; (image borderline) 22.2 x 111.1 cm.

Condition: strong impressions in excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing. “L’Amitié” is trimmed within the platemark on the sides and “La Fortune” has replenished lines around the image borderline where there was a thread gap in the chine collé edge.

I am selling this set of three graphically arresting engravings exemplifying the exuberant spirit of La Belle Époque in 19th century France, for AU$383 in total (currently US$279.11/EUR235.68/GBP210.21 at the time of posting 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 these stunningly rich engravings, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.