Jean François Janinet (1752–1814)
“L’Amour” (aka “The Love”), 1777, colour
aquatint—an innovative process perfected by Janinet—after Jean-Honoré
Fragonard (1732–1806), published in Paris by Le Père & Avaulez (fl.
1772–1779)—initially a partnership between Charles Le Père and Pierre Michel
Avaulez (1772–1777), but at the time of the printing of this colour aquatint,
the printery was passed on to Avaulez's widow (1777–1779), printed by Pierre
Blin (fl.1786–1790). The Rijksmuseum advises that this print was created as
an illustration for the “Journal de Paris” magazine, November 24, 1777 (see
inv.no. RP-P-1984-160).
Colour aquatint and etching with
roulette work on heavy laid paper trimmed around (or slightly within) the
platemark with the four holes for the colour registration still visible.
Size: (sheet) 29.2 x 20.8 cm; (oval
image borderline) 21.2 x 17.8 cm.
State i? (of ii) Lifetime
impression (based on the quality of the aquatint showing no sign of wear to the
printing plate). I am unable to verify if this is a first state impression, but
the production details are not the same as the second state impressions held by
the British Museum, the National Gallery of Art or the Metropolitan Museum of
Art: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1925-1117-3;
https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.2995.html;
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/369415.
Lettered in plate below the image
borderline: (left) “Fragonard pinx”; (centre) “L’AMOUR/ à Paris chés Janinet
place Maubert Maison neuve au 1er. et rue St. Jacques à
la Providence/ P [B]lin imp” (right) “f. Janinet Sculp 1777”.
IFF 33 (“Inventaire du fonds
français : graveurs du dix-huitième siècle”, vol. 12, Paris, Bibliothèque
nationale de France, p. 21, cat. no. 33.II).
The Rijksmuseum offers the
following description of this print: (transl.) “A putto among the blooming rose
bushes, an arrow in his left hand. There is a quiver of arrows on the ground,
two doves in the air.” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.41448).
Condition: a strong and
well-printed lifetime impression with glowing colour, trimmed following the
platemark (or slightly within) in good condition. Beyond a chipped upper left
corner and pale age toning (darkening) along the edges, the sheet is in a very
good condition for its age with no tears or significant stains. Note that the
holes on the edges of the sheet are an integral part of the print as they are
the registration holes for the colour printing process.
I am selling this very rare colour
aquatint exemplifying the remarkable printing technique developed by Jean
François Janinet involving the superimposition of multiple printing plates of
different colours—note the four registration holes employed by the printer to
align the different plates for the colour printing—for AU$438 (currently US$305.31/EUR281.19/GBP246.20
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 amazing masterwork of early colour printing, 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
