Katsushika Hokusai’s woodblock diptych, “Octopus Attacking a Fishman with Dancer and Musicians”, 1878

Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾 北斎) (1760–1849)

“Octopus Attacking a Fishman with Dancer and Musicians” (descriptive title only), 1878, diptych of colour woodblock pints of pages 34 and 35 from volume 15 in the series of fifteen volumes of Hokusai’s “Manga Jūgohen” (北斎漫画, 十五編), compiled by Katano Tōshirō (片野東四郎編輯) and published in Nagoya by Eirakuya Tōshirō (永楽屋東四郎) (fl.1813–1842) (see https://pulverer.si.edu/node/774/title/1  & https://pulverer.si.edu/node/774/title/1/18 ).

Two individual colour woodblock panels abutted to create a diptych printed in black, grey and light vermilion ink on fine washi paper laid upon a support sheet.

Size: (2 abutted sheets) 22.7 x 25.5 cm.

The British Museum offers a description of the volume in which this print features (vol. 15) as well as a online view of all the prints on thirty folded sheets (cho): https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1979-0305-0-428-14.

Condition: delicate/pale impressions trimmed (so that they may be abutted) and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The diptych is in a good condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing—note that some naturally occurring darker fibres in the paper are visible.

I am selling this diptych of original colour woodblock prints by Hokusai of an absolutely bonkers seaside scene featuring a wild dancer accompanied by two equally wild musicians seemingly oblivious to a fisherman in the foreground who is being attacked (I prefer to believe “hugged”) by an big-eyed octopus, for the total cost of AU$264 (currently US$186.93/EUR177.08/GBP1184.76 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 amazing diptych woodblock print by the almost legendary Hokusai, 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

Antoine Ponthus-Cinier’s etching, "Chiens Verts", 1866

Antoine Ponthus-Cinier (aka Antoine-Claude Ponthus-Cinier) (1812–1885)

"Chiens Verts" (inscribed on plate), 1866, plate 257 for the fifth volume of prints, “Eaux-Fortes Modernes: Originales et Inédites”, featuring sixty prints (the plate numbering continues from the fourth volume and begins in the fifth volume with plate number 241) produced by the Société des Aquafortistes, published in September 1866–August 1867 by Cadart & Luquet (fl.1863–1867) in Paris and printed by Auguste Delâtre (aka Auguste Marie Delâtre) (1822–1907).

Note: the curious title of this print, “Chiens Verts” (Green Dogs), may be a misspelling inscribed on the plate. The National Gallery of Australia proposes that the title may have been intended to be, “Chêne Vert” (Holmoak)—described by Google Translate as “an evergreen southern European oak, with dark green glossy leaves” (see https://artsearch.nga.gov.au/detail.cfm?irn=35053&pictaus=true).

Etching on chine collé (China) on laid paper watermarked “AQUA-FORTISTES” with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 52.9 x 36.2 cm; (plate/chine collé) 24.3 x 14.7 cm; (upper image borderline) 2 x 13.8 cm; (lower image borderline) 20.6 x 13.8 cm.

Numbered on plate above the borderline of the upper image (right) "257."

Inscribed on plate within the lower image borderline (upper right) "P CINIER" with the letter, "N", in reverse.

Lettered on plate below the lower image borderline: (left) "P. Cinier sculp./ Paris, CADART & LUQUET, Editeurs."; (centre) "CHIENS VERTS."; (right) "Imp. Delâtre, Rue St. Jacques, 303,Paris."

Blindstamped in the margin (lower centre) with the seal of Cadart & Luquet.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

"Plate 257: trees beside river, steep hill behind; with additional image at top, view of bridge" (https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1346945&page=1&partId=1&searchText=ponthus-cinier%20).

Condition: richly inked and near faultless impression with generously wide margins in near pristine condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions, foxing or signs of handling).

I am selling this eye-catching etching featuring a juxtaposition of two seemingly unrelated images and with the intriguing title, “Green Dogs”, for AU$310 in total (currently US$206.03/EUR182.44/GBP157.93 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 wonderful example of 19^th century Romanticism, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Francis Seymour Haden’s etchings, “The Two Asses” and “Dundrum River”, 1863

Francis Seymour Haden (1818–1910)

Two plates created from the division of a single composition

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(LEFT) “The Two Asses”, 1863, published in “Fine Arts Quarterly Review” (1867), printed by Frederick Goulding for the firm Day and Son.

Etching on heavy cream wove paper with wide margins (as published).

Size: (sheet) 26.9 x 17.6 cm; (plate) 15.3 x 8.6 cm

State ii (of ii) with the inscription added:

“This plate is a part of the square one wh [which?] follows it. Both were drawn under the mordant and afterwards cut. The balance wd [would?] have been better preserved if the division had not been made, and if this white space had been filled in with strong work as intended. S.H.”

Schneiderman 1983 46.A.II; Harrington 1910 50.II

See the British Museum’s description of this print:

https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1565092&partId=1&searchText=haden+asses&page=1

Condition: richly inked and faultless impression in pristine condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of use) with wide margins as published.

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(RIGHT) “Dundrum River, 1863, published in “Etchings for the Art Union of London by The Etching Club” (1872)

Etching on heavy white wove paper with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 24 x 21.4 cm; (plate) 15.2 x 14 cm

State iv (of iv) with the inscriptions: (upper left corner) “Seymour Haden”; (lower centre) “A river’s bank”.

Note this state still partly reveals the burnished inscription from the first state at upper left corner: ”Done under the acid without additional work”

Schneiderman 1983 46.B.IV; Harrington 1910 49.II

See the British Museum’s description of this print:

https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1565105&partId=1&searchText=haden+Dundrum&page=1

Condition: richly inked and faultless impression in near pristine condition.

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I am selling this pair of related etchings in remarkably fine condition for AU$420 in total (currently US$302.53/EUR265.71/GBP237.48 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 these etchings by one of the important luminaries of British printmaking, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

These print have been sold