Arthur Mayeur, “L'enlèvement de Psyché”, 1871, after Pierre Paul Prud'hon

Arthur Mayeur (also known as Arthur-Jules Mayeur) (1871–1934)

“L'enlèvement de Psyché” (The Abduction of Psyche), 1871

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching and engraving with hand-colouring (possibly contemporaneous) on a full sheet of heavy cream wove paper with deckle edges on all sides. The design is based on Pierre-Paul Prud'hon’s (1758–1823) 1808 painting of the same composition, now in the collection of the Musée du Louvre, Paris (see: https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010060092). The etching was printed and published by the Chalcographie du Louvre and bears the dry-stamp of the Chalcographie at lower centre.

This is a strong, well-printed impression featuring finely executed and subtle hand-colouring. The sheet shows a band of age-toning (possibly dust) at the top, a closed tear in the upper-left corner of the margin, and pencil notations on the lower corners. Otherwise, it is in good condition, free of holes, folds, abrasions, or significant stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 65.8 x 50.4 cm
• Platemark: 51.6 x 39.5 cm
• Image borderline: 43.5 x 34.5 cm

In-Plate Lettering (below the image borderline):

• Left: “P.-P. PRUD'HON PINX^T.”
• Centre: “L'ENLÈVEMENT DE PSYCHÉ / CHALCOGRAPHIE DU LOUVRE”
• Right: “A. MAYEUR SCULP^T.”

Reference:

• Musée du Louvre: https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl020531918  

Price & Shipping:

AU$280 (approx. US$201.40 / €170.46 / £148.29), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

To acquire this exceptional hand-coloured etching (with engraving) depicting the mythological episode in which Psyche, the mortal wife of Cupid, is carried by Zephyrs to a hidden, enchanted valley—an important moment representing her secret refuge or trial—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I am happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless transaction.

Arthur Mayeur’s colour aquatint with stipple engraving, “The Wicar Head”, c.1900

Arthur Mayeur (1871–1934)—French printmaker, sculptor and medallist

“The Wicar Head,” (aka “Buste de Femme sur Piédouche”; “Tête de Wicar”), c.1900, after an 17^th century Italian bust of a young woman executed in polychromed wax, terracotta and blown glass by an unidentified artist (see https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:T%C3%AAte_de_cire,_dite_T%C3%AAte_de_Wicar,_XVIIe_s,_cire_peinte,_terre_cuite_peinte_et_verre_souffl%C3%A9,_Anonyme,_Italie_(2).jpg). I suspect that copies of this head were used in the Art Academies of the time as I have an early charcoal study of the same subject from a French Academy. Interestingly, Ferdinand Gaillard (1834–1887) also made an exquisite engraving of the same head, “Tête de Cire” (Wax Head), which I will feature in a future post (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1981-U-436).

Colour aquatint with stipple engraving, printed in sanguine and blue ink on cream chine collé on heavy wove paper, signed in the plate by the artist.

Size: (sheet) 39 x 29.3 cm; (plate) 29.l x 21.5 cm; (chine collé) 28.2 x 20 cm.

Signed in the plate at lower right: “A. Mayeur[f?]”.

The Musenor website offers a brief description of this print in the collection of the Beaux-Arts Museum of Arras at the former Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Vaast, France (Le Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Arras): https://webmuseo.com/ws/musenor/app/collection/record/30982.  

Condition: Apart from a white mark on the figure’s lips, the impression is strong and well-printed. Beyond minor handling marks, the sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, or significant stains.

I am selling this very beautiful study of a sculpted bust of a young woman displayed on a pedestal base and finished with the unusual addition of blue accents, for AU$276 (currently US$188.58/EUR170.72/GBP148.11 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 visually striking portrayal of a sculpted head executed by a fine sculptor-printmaker, 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