Alfred Taiée’s etching with drypoint, “Marrons d'Inde”, 1869

Alfred Taiée (aka Jean Alfred Taiée) (1820–1880)

“Marrons d'Inde” (Horse Chestnuts), 1869, published in Paris in 1869 by Cadart & Luce (fl.1867–1870/1) as plate 70 to “L'Illustration Nouvelle par une Société de Peintres-Graveurs à l'Eau-Forte”, vol. 2 (2^nd year) (see https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b85275972/f37.item   and https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1873-0510-3023-3070).

Etching with drypoint on pale grey chine collé on laid paper with margins around the platemark.

Size: (sheet) 23.1 x 33 cm; (plate) 12.6 x 24.1 cm; (image borderline/chine collé) 10.5 x 22.4 cm.

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline: (lower left) “a. taiée.”; (lower right) “Sous ta piquante carapace,/ Marron de détestable race,/ á quoi bon te cacher si bien,/ Puisqu'on sait que tu ne vaux rien!”.

Numbered and lettered in plate: (upper right corner) “70.”; (lower left) “Alfred Taiée. sc.”; (lower centre) “MARRONS D'INDE”; (lower right) “Paris,CADART & LUCE, Editeurs Imprimeurs, Rue N^ve des Mathurins,58.”

Beraldi 1 (not described by title) (Henri Béraldi 1885–1892, “Les Graveurs du XIXe Siècle: Guide de l'Amateur d'Estampes Modernes”, vol. 12, Paris, Librairie L. Conquet, pp.68–69).

See the description of this print offered by the Wellcome Collection: https://wellcomecollection.org/works/hnjp4zxk.

For those wondering about the inscribed poem at lower right ([transl.] “Under your prickly shell,/ Chestnut of a detestable race,/ what's the use of hiding yourself so well,/ Since we know you're worth nothing!”), I understand that unlike edible sweet chestnuts, the prickly skinned horse chestnuts (Aesculus hippocastanum) portrayed in this still-life contain a poison called esculin that is toxic if eaten raw (see https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1055/horse-chestnut). Accordingly, the poem is a lament for the need of horse chestnuts to protect their nuts so well seeing that no one is likely to eat or value them.

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed impression in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this curiously wonderful still-life etching of horse chestnuts with its inscribed (tongue-in-cheek”) lament about nature’s pointless packaging of the toxic nut, for the total cost of AU$204 (currently US$152.23/EUR140.46/GBP116.99 at the time of posting this print) 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 visually arresting and unusual etching, 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 

Alfred Taiée’s etching, “Un Chemin Creux”, 1876, after Antoine Vollon

Alfred Taiée (1820–1880)

“Un Chemin Creux” (A Sunken Lane), 1876, untrimmed proof impression after the design of Antoine Vollon (1833–1900) (possibly the sepia wash study of the same composition by Vollon auctioned by La Gazette Drouet: https://www.gazette-drouot.com/en/lots/5580899), printed in Paris before publication in 1876 by Alfred Cadart (aka Vve Cadart) (1828–1875) in “Vingt tableaux de la collection Berthelier: [estampe] / gravés à l'eau-forte par Alfred Taiée”—a series of twenty etchings reproducing the collection of paintings held by the actor, Jean Berthelier. The BnF offers an online view of the twenty plates in this publication (see image 45 for this etching): https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b525041863).

Etching with pale plate tone on fine laid paper with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 29 x 39.2 cm; (plate) 23.9 x 16 cm; (image borderline) 19.1 x 13.8 cm.

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower left corner) “Vollon”.

Inscribed on plate below the image borderline: (left) “a. taiée d’ap. Vollon.”; (centre) “tableau appt. à m. Berthelier.”; (right) “Imp. Cadart.”

Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BnF) offers a description of this print: https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb40271972v.

Condition: richly inked impression, but slightly over-wiped at the lower-left, with wide margins (before trimming for publication) in near pristine condition (i.e. there are no tears, folds, holes, losses, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of use).

I am selling this rare pre-publication proof impression for AU$198 (currently US$127.38/EUR117.91/GBP103.10 at the time of 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 very beautiful etching, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.