Herbert Thomas Dicksee’s drypoint with aquatint, “The Challenge”, c1910

Herbert Thomas Dicksee (1862–1942)

“The Challenge”, c1910, portraying the then elderly lion called “Punch” at London's Zoological Gardens (Regent Park)—a lion that Dicksee had made many previous studies (see, for example, the etching: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/herbert-dicksee-original-19th-etching-1854584699)—gazing into the sky while standing in a romantic lake-edge setting.

Note: after Dicksee died in 1942, most of the artist’s printing plates were destroyed following instructions of his will.

For those unfamiliar with Dicksee's prints, Nicholas Price and The Park Gallery offer a superb PDF booklet, “Herbert Dicksee (1862–1942): The Big Cat Etchings”: http://www.pricefineart.com/wp-content/uploads/Dicksee-catalogue-Big-Cats-.pdf. 

Drypoint with aquatint printed with a cool black ink on cream wove paper.

Size: (sheet) 24.9 x 35.5 cm; (plate) 17.8 x 25.3 cm; (image borderline) 16.2 x 24 cm.

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower left) “HD” (artist’s monogram).

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “H Dicksee pinx & sc.”; (centre) “The Challenge.”

Condition: well-printed, velvety impression with full margins (as published?). Beyond a pencil notation at lower right (recto) and verso, the sheet is in near pristine condition.

I am selling this small in size, but grand in scale, etching by Dicksee—compare it to the enormous etching by the same artist that I listed earlier: https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2019/09/herbert-dicksees-etching-maternal-care.html—for the total cost of AU$279 (currently US$199.84/EUR169.36/GBP152.66 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 very poetic drypoint of a lion contemplating a world bigger than what it can see, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Herbert Dicksee's etching, “Maternal Care”, 1899

Herbert Dicksee (aka Herbert Thomas Dicksee) (1862–1942)

“Maternal Care” (titled on plate), 1899, published by Frost & Reed Ltd (1808–1930s) in Bristol, London and Clifton, and by Stiefbold & Co. (fl.1884–1909) in Berlin, with copyright registered by Frost & Reed in Washington. (The publication details are based on my reading of the ultra-fine inscribed text on the plate and my apologies for any inaccuracies.)

Etching with drypoint printed in dark brown ink on heavy brown wove paper backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 53.4 x 77 cm; (plate indistinct and measurement approx.) 43.5 x 68.5 cm; (image borderline) 40.7 x 65.9 cm.

Lettered on plate above the image borderline at centre (in extremely small lettering and I may be wrong in my reading of some of the details): “Published at 8. Clare Street, Bristol, by Frost & Reed. Printsellers of London, Bristol & Clifton. October 1st. 1899. Berlin. Stiefbold & Co. 49 Kromen Strasse. Copyright registered.”

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower left corner) “HD / 432”.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Etched by H. Dicksee”; (centre in extremely small lettering) “Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1899, by Frost & Reed in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.”; (right) “Maternal Care.”

Nicholas Price and The Park Gallery offer a superb PDF booklet, “Herbert Dicksee (1862–1942): The Big Cat Etchings”: http://www.pricefineart.com/wp-content/uploads/Dicksee-catalogue-Big-Cats-.pdf 

See other prints by Dicksee available at Gosvenor Prints:

https://www.grosvenorprints.com/stock.php?keyword=dicksee&WADbSearch1=go

William Secord Gallery in the description of this print advises that the edition size is 275 impressions:

http://www.dogpainting.com/art_detail.cfm?Reference_Number=HD_28

Condition: an exceptionally large and richly inked impression with generous margins laid upon a conservator’s support sheet of fine archival/millennium quality washi paper. The sheet has a few spots in the margin and shows age toning (i.e. darkening) otherwise it is in excellent condition considering the age and huge size of the print.

I am selling this magnificently grand, rare masterpiece of nineteenth century printmaking executed by one of the most famous of the animaliers—especially wild cats—for the total cost of AU$620 (currently US$425.44/EUR385.28/GBP344.89 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 gigantic etching of the highest quality showing a lioness and her cub at a waterhole with the “lioness looking at a vulture or buzzard and the cub looking endearingly at the observer” (see WorthPoint: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/sepia-etching-lioness-cub-herbert-276005122), please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print is available for purchase

Herbert Dicksee's etching, “Raiders”, 1898

Herbert Dicksee (aka Herbert Thomas Dicksee) (1862–1942)

“Raiders”, 1898, published by Frost & Reed Ltd (1808–1930s) in Bristol, London and Clifton, and by Stiefbold & Co. (fl.c.1884–1909) in Berlin, with copyright registered by Frost & Reed in Washington. (The publication details are based on my understanding of the lettered text on the plate and my apologies for any inaccuracies.)

Etching with drypoint printed in dark brown ink on heavy brown wove paper backed by a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 50.3 x 75.2 cm; (plate indistinct) 44.1 x 67.8 cm; (image borderline) 40 x 66.4 cm.

Inscribed on plate above the image borderline at centre (in extremely small and fine lettering): “Published at 8. Clare Street, Bristol, by Frost & Reed. Printseller of London, Bristol & Clifton. October 1^st. 1898. Berlin. Stiefbold & Co. 49 Kromen Strasse. Copyright registered.”

Inscribed on plate below the image borderline: (centre) “Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1898. by Frost & Reed in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.”; (right) “Raiders.”

Reference: Nicholas Price and The Park Gallery offer a superb PDF booklet, “Herbert Dicksee (1862–1942): The Big Cat Etchings”: http://www.pricefineart.com/wp-content/uploads/Dicksee-catalogue-Big-Cats-.pdf

See also the description of this print at Schotten and Selling Antiques:

https://sportantiques.co.uk/herbert-dicksee-picture-of-lions-raiders-etching

https://www.sellingantiques.co.uk/612003/herbert-dicksee-raiders-original-etching/

See other prints by Dicksee available at Gosvenor Prints:

https://www.grosvenorprints.com/stock.php?keyword=dicksee&WADbSearch1=go

Condition: exceptionally large richly inked and near faultless impression backed with a conservator’s support sheet of fine archival/millennium quality washi paper. The sheet is in excellent condition considering its age and huge size, nevertheless, there are a few minor spots in the margins.

I am selling this magnificently grand, rare masterpiece of nineteenth century printmaking executed by one of the most famous of the animaliers—especially wild cats—for the total cost of AU$620 (currently US$432.45/EUR383.88/GBP340.49 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 gigantic etching of the highest quality and in superb condition, 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