Daniel Mordant, “Portrait of Jean Gallus”, 1885, after Antonio Moro

Daniel Mordant (aka Daniel Charles Marie Mordant) (1854–1914)

“Portrait of Jean Gallus”—a composer and court master of the Ferrara chapel choir (aka Johannes Gallus; Jean le Cocq; Jean Lecocq; Maître Jean, Mestre Jhan), (fl.c1540–1560), 1885. This etching (with engraving) is a translation of Antonio Moro’s (aka Antonis Mor) (c1517–1577) painting, “Bildnis des Jean Lecocq” (1559), now in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Kassel (see https://altemeister.museum-kassel.de/33702/). The etching was printed by Lallement (aka Lallement & Cie) (fl. 1773–1788) and published in Paris in 1885 between pages 1998 and 1999 in the art periodical, “L'Art: Revue hebdomadaire illustrée”, vol. 11.

BnF offers a view of this print in its context in the publication (“L'Art”); see https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1055828x/f238.item. Interestingly, this portrait is accompanied in the publication with an etching of Jean Gallus’ wife, also by Mordant; see https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1055828x/f241.

Etching with engraving on fine buff coloured laid paper with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 41.7 x 27.6 cm; (plate) 31.8 x 22.2 cm; (image borderline) 26.7 x 18.2 cm.

Inscribed in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Antonio Moro pinx./ L'Art.”; (centre) “PORTRAIT DE JEAN GALLUS/ (Musée de Cassel.)”; (right) “D. Mordant sc./ Imp. Lallement.”

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed, faultless, impression with wide margins in a near pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasion or significant stains.

I am selling this marvellously insightful etching of Moro’s (aka Mor) painting of the composer, Jean Gallus, revealing the commanding intensity of his presence—interestingly, the frame of the painting is inscribed with the epigram by the poet, Dominicus Lampsonius (1532–1599): (transl.) “More's paintings do not lack language—they could even speak!” (see MHK inv. no. GK 35), for AU$189 (equivalent to approximately US$121.08, EUR 108.23, or GBP 91.02 at the time of listing) and includes Express Mail Service (EMS) postage and handling to any worldwide destination. Please note that any import duties or taxes levied by the destination country, if any, are the responsibility of the buyer and are not included in the purchase price. Payment is requested in Australian dollars (AU$189).

If you are interested in purchasing this amazing translation of Moro’s painting into line, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Daniel Mordant’s engraving (with etching), “L'Espérance”, 1897, after George Frederick Watts

Daniel Mordant (aka Daniel Charles Marie Mordant) (1854–1914)

“L'Espérance” (aka “Hope”; “The Audacity of Hope”), 1897, engraving with etching after George Frederick Watts’ (1817–1904) painting, “Hope”, executed in 1886 in the collection of the Tate Gallery (inv. no. N01640) showing “… blind Hope seated on a globe and playing on a lyre which has all its strings broken except one” (https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/watts-hope-n01640). This impression with the original tissue-guard intact was printed by Louis Fort (fl. 1905) and published in Paris by Gauthier-Villars, bound between pages 132 and 133 in the art periodical, “Revue de l'Art ancien et modern”, vol., 4, 1897 (see https://archive.org/details/larevuedelartanc04pariuoft/page/141/mode/2up).

Note that I have previously listed a proof impression of this print (now sold): https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2021/05/daniel-charles-marie-mordants-engraving.html.

Engraving with etching printed on cream wove paper with full margins and attached tissue-guard as published.

Size: (sheet) 29 x 21.3 cm; (plate [soft impression]) 22? x 16.8? cm; (image borderline) 17.7 x 13.8 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: “Watts pinx./ Revue de l’Art ancient et moderne”; (centre) “L'Espérance”/ (Tate gallery); (right) “Mordant sc./ Imp, L. Fort”.

Condition: a well-printed impression on cream wove paper with the original tissue guard still attached. The sheet is in a near pristine condition.

I am selling this very beautiful engraving (with etching) executed in the most delicate of strokes after Watts’ famous allegorical painting showing the personification of hope (aka the Roman deity, Spes; the Greek deity, Elpis) as a blind young woman seated on a mist shrouded globe as she lightly strums on the last unbroken string of her lyre, for AU$322 (currently US$215.22/EUR194.74/GBP171.42 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 superb translation of Watt’s painting into an amazingly fine engraving, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Daniel Charles Marie Mordant’s engraving, “L'Espérance”, 1897, after George Frederic Watts

Daniel Charles Marie Mordant (1854–1914)

“L'Espérance” (aka “The Audacity of Hope”), 1897, after George Frederic Watts’ (1817–1904) painting, “Hope”, 1886, in the Tate Gallery (see https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/george-frederic-watts-586).  

A proof-state impression on vellum before lettering for publication as an original engraved illustration printed by Louis Fort (fl. 1905) bound between pages 132 and 133 in the periodical, “Revue de l'Art ancien et modern”, vol. 4, 1897, (see https://archive.org/details/larevuedelartanc04pariuoft/page/141/mode/2up).

Engraving printed in a warm black ink on vellum before lettering with publication details.

Size: (sheet) 31 x 23.7 cm; (plate) 22 x 16.8 cm; (image borderline) 17.5 x 13.8 cm.

Condition: a superb artist’s proof impression on the finest vellum in pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this extraordinarily rare and beautiful engraving executed in the most delicate of strokes after Watts’ famous allegorical painting showing the personification of hope as a blind young woman seated on a mist shrouded globe as she lightly strums on the last unbroken string of her lyre, for AU$312 (currently US$241.19/EUR197.70/GBP169.92 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 museum-quality engraving, 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

Daniel Charles Marie Mordant’s engraving, “La République”, after Jules Dalou

Daniel Charles Marie Mordant (1854–1914)

“La République”, c1883, published by J Rouam for the “Libraire de l’Art” and printed by Lallemènet after the plaster bas-relief sculpture, “La Fraternité des Peuples”, 1883, by Jules Dalou (aka Aimé-Jules Dalou) (1838–1902), in the Wedding Hall of the Town Hall of Paris (see https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Paris_Mairie_du_10e_60582.JPG). 

Engraving with drypoint (?) and plate tone on laid paper with 3 cm chainlines and supported on fine washi paper.

Size: (sheet) 70.4 x 52.2 cm; (plate) 48.3 x 31 cm; (image borderline) 44.2 x 27.5 cm

Lettered in the plate below the image borderline: (left) “JULES DALOU SCULP. / LIBRAIRIE DE L’ART_J. ROUAM, ÉDITEUR_PARIS.”; (centre) “LA RÉPUBLIQUE”; (right) DANIEL MORDANT AQUAF. / LALLEMÈNT & CIE IMP.”

Condition: an extremely large and near faultless impression with full margins as published. There are a few minor handling marks in the margins, but, for such a large print, this impression is in superb condition. The sheet has been laid upon a conservator’s support sheet.

I am selling this huge, stunningly beautiful and finely rendered engraving for the total cost of AU$300 including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this rare interpretative study of Dalou’s monumental sculpture celebrating the Third French Republic (1870–1940)—unless I have my facts wrong—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

Years ago I spent a great deal of lecture time in my classes explaining the importance of choosing the “best” angle of lighting to give a scene the illusion of three-dimensions. Well … the angle that Mordant has chosen to illuminate Dalou’s sculpture (vis. from the top-front-left) is perfect. Of course, this angle of lighting is only perfect for Western viewers or those that read from left-to-right. Viewers acculturated to read in any other direction (e.g. Arabic, Hebrew and ancient Orientals) may not share the same experience of solid three-dimensions and would need a very different lighting arrangement. For example, I remember showing magazine advertisements published in Israel in which the choice of lighting was the reverse of what Occidental audiences expect (i.e. the advertisements featured light streaming into the scenes from the top-front-right).