Charles Jacque, “Tir à la Bécasse”, 1864

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

“Tir à la Bécasse” (Woodcock Shooting), 1864

Description:

J.-J. Guiffrey (1866), in his catalogue raisonné of Charles Jacque’s etchings and drypoints, describes this print (in translation): “Beneath a tall canopy, a hunter, one knee resting on a large moss-covered stone, takes aim at two woodcocks that take flight. The left side is occupied by two large tree trunks; one entirely covered in ivy and vegetation. A dense thicket of tall trees fills the background.” (p. 89)

This scene captures a suspended moment of tension at the critical dramatic instant when a hunter aims his gun at woodcocks flying for cover amidst a lush woodland setting. It not only exemplifies Jacque’s confidence and ease with the etching needle but also showcases his keen observation of nature.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with dot-roulette on heavy, watermarked laid paper with wide margins. This is a rare first-state impression, prior to any lettering or publication marks. It is the first plate in a series of twenty-four executed in 1864 and distributed between 1864–1865 (Collection published in 1864, Guiffrey 177–201).

In the later published state of this etching, the inscribed details identify Sarazin (also known as Sarasin, active circa 1846–1880) as the printer.

Note: The British Museum holds an impression of the later, lettered state under: Museum Number 1865,0429.148 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1865-0429-148).

This impression is richly inked and well-printed, serving as an artist’s proof. It remains in near-pristine, museum-quality condition—entirely free of tears, holes, folds, stains, or handling marks.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 36.4 x 24.2 cm
• Platemark: 17.0 x 10.7 cm
• Image borderline: 15.6 x 9.9 cm

References:

• Guiffrey 177 (J.-J. Guiffrey, “L’Oeuvre de Ch. Jacque: Catalogue de ses Eaux-Fortes et Pointes Sèches,” 1866, Paris, Lemaire, p. 89, cat. no. 177 [Premier état])
• IFF 280 (Jean Adhémar & Jacques Lethève, “Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800: HUMBLOT–JYG,” vol. 11, 1960, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, p. 114, cat. no. 280)— Available via Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Gallica): https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5489301d/f126.item  

Price & Shipping:

AU$274 (approximately US$190.42 / €166.96 / £143.17), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you’re interested in acquiring this remarkable etching—where the fine white line of the hunter’s rifle, tilted toward the two flying woodcocks, becomes the dramatic focal point—please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

This print has been sold 

Charles Jacque, “L’été”, 1864

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

“L’été” (Summer), 1864

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with dot-roulette on fine buff-coloured laid paper with wide margins. This is a rare first state impression before lettering for publication. It is the ninth plate in a series of twenty-four prints executed in 1864 and distributed between 1864–1865 (Collection Publiée en 1864, Guiffrey 177–201).

In the later published state of this etching, the inscribed details show Sarazin (also known as Sarasin, active circa 1846–1880) as the printer.

Note: The British Museum holds an impression of the later, lettered state under: Museum Number 1865,0429.156 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1865-0429-156).

The impression is richly inked and well-printed—a near-faultless artist’s proof. Aside from a small replenished hole below the image at right (visible only when held to a light source), the sheet remains in excellent, museum-quality condition. It is entirely free of tears, folds, stains, or handling marks.

J.-J. Guiffrey (1866) describes this specific composition (translated from the French): “A country girl, dressed in a gown that leaves her shoulder and leg bare, sits on a mound under a tree near a rough fence. She is feeding a small bird. On the other side of the fence, a shepherd in a wide-brimmed hat and coat leans on his elbow, talking to the girl. His flock spreads out on a rise divided in two by a wooden fence, at the top of which the silhouette of a dog stands out against the sky” (p. 92).

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 39.4 x 28 cm
• Platemark: 21 x 13.2 cm
• Image borderline: 13 x 9.8 cm

References:

• Guiffrey 185 (J.-J. Guiffrey, “L’Oeuvre de Ch. Jacque: Catalogue de ses Eaux-Fortes et Pointes Sèches,” 1866, Paris, Lemaire, p. 92, cat. no. 185 [Premier état])
• Beraldi 9 (Henri Beraldi, “Les Graveurs du Dix-Neuvième Siècle: GUÉRIN–LACOSTE,” vol. VIII, 1889, Paris, Librairie L. Conquet, p. 188, cat. no. 9 [referencing Guiffrey 185])
• IFF 288 (Jean Adhémar & Jacques Lethève, “Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800: HUMBLOT–JYG,” vol. 11, 1960, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, p. 115, cat. no. 288)— https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5489301d/f127.item

Price & Shipping:

AU$274 (approximately US$191.38 / €167.21 / £142.26), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you’re interested in acquiring this sublimely beautiful and extraordinarily rare etching in its initial proof state before lettering and later drypoint/engraving rework, please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

This print has been sold 

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.