Charles
Waltner (aka Charles Albert
Waltner) (1846–1925)
"When you become a flower... (Emile Goudeau)” (aka
“Quand tu seras fleur devenue”), 1905, pencil-signed and inscribed “Bon à Tirer” proof (i.e., a proof of the highest
quality designed as a benchmark for printers to use when pulling an edition) by
the artist before lettering, printing and publication by the Société des
Amis de l'Eau-forte (1897–c.1930); see https://www.mahmah.ch/collection/oeuvres/quand-tu-seras-fleur-devenue-emile-goudeau/e-2019-0345-003.
For
those who may be unfamiliar with the French writer, Émile Goudeau (1849–1906),
whose words are used in the title of this beautiful print, he is arguably most
famous for founding the Hydropathes literary club in 1878. The mission of this
club was to promote its fellow members’ literary and artistic pursuits and was
funded by Goudeau with liquor (absinthe), rather than cash, as was appropriate
for this bohemian society. The ten years that Goudeau mentored the Hydropathes is
recorded in Goudeau's memoir, “Dix ans de bohème” (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Émile_Goudeau).
Etching
and drypoint on fine Japanese paper, hand-signed and inscribed “Bon à Tirer”.
Size:
(sheet) 35.7 x 25 cm; (plate) 20.1 x 41.5 cm.
Inscribed
in pencil(?) below the image borderline at lower right: “Bon à Tirer/ Waltner”.
Lifetime
proof-state (“Bon à Tirer”) impression before
lettering for publication.
Note
that the Cleveland Museum of Art holds and early (drypoint only) impression of
this print: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1992.211.
Condition:
a richly inked and well-printed impression with wide margins in a near pristine
condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains or foxing.
I am
selling this exceptionally rare and magnificently rich impression that is a hand-signed
artist’s proof inscribed with the traditional notation, “Bon à Tirer”, that
denotes this impression as the model upon which all future prints should match
in an edition—in short, it is an impression that the artist considers to be “perfect”—by
one of the major reproductive etchers of the nineteenth century, for the total
cost of AU$285 (currently US$190.49/EUR172.36/GBP151.72 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 highly experimental and very poetic portrait
of a young woman—note the rich velvety burr of the drypoint lines capturing the
luminously dark tones of the woman’s shawl and the contrast that these lines
make with the delicate strokes modelling her gently smiling face—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
