CORNELIS VISSCHER - THE SMALL CAT - 19thC. HELIOGRAVURE by AMAND DURAND

Description: "THE SMALL CAT" 19th CENTURY HELIOGRAVURE RE-WORK BY CHARLES AMAND-DURAND (French, 1831-1905) OF AN ENGRAVING BY DUTCH MASTER CORNELIS VISSCHER (1629-1658) Unsigned. One of a series of cat images engraved by Visscher (a huge talent who died very young) in the 17th century, called "The Small Cat" to distinguish it from the others. The nineteenth-century Durand re-creation of rare Old Master etchings and engravings using the process of heliogravure is well documented. CONDITION: Excellent. The print is in flawless condition. Printed on off-white "laid" paper which is nicely age-toned. The platemark line is clearly visible and there are good margins beyond. Excellent crisp detail, lovely tonal contrast. In this one, we have a nice paper manufacturer's watermark from the E. Desloye Company in France, which confirms a dating of 1870-1880. See my last photo. ***Scarce image. Main image area measures 9.5 x 12 centimetres. Total area of the sheet is 27 x 18.5 centimetres, so extremely good wide margins should you choose to mount/frame it. REFERENCE: Check it out online: British Museum, 1851,0417.4. Charles Amand Durand (1831-1905) developed the process of heliogravure in the 1860s. It was revolutionary, and was much admired by Georges Duplessis (1834-1899), Curator of the Prints Department of the National Library in Paris. The two men decided to collaborate on a lengthy project to re-create some of the rarest Old Master prints in the French collection; Duplessis provided the originals, early states, and Durand used them to meticulously recreate them by heliogravure. The results were first published in two volumes by Duplessis under the auspices (and with the total involvement) of the French National Library. The works proved so popular that subsequent editions were printed in France in the period 1860-1885. This impression published circa 1880. There was a time when the print purists looked down on the work of Durand; but, as the supply of original items has virtually dried up, collectors have come to realise that Durand's re-creations are the closest most of us will ever come to owning a lifetime impression of these rare etchings. I suggest that potential buyers compare my offering here with a scan of one from the major museum collections, and form your own opinion. I think that most people will be really impressed by the exactness of the work, and the way in which it retains both the technical skill and the creativity of the original masterpiece. You can compare it with online examples from the world's leading museums. The fact that Durand's work is now included in many museum collections (including the British Museum) is surely a powerful endorsement. ***ALL MY ITEMS ARE SENT VIA TRACKED/SIGNED SERVICE, FOR EVERYBODY'S PEACE OF MIND.*** ***I CAN COMBINE SHIPPING IF THERE'S MORE THAN ONE ITEM THAT YOU LIKE.***

Price: 24.99 GBP

Location: Wadhurst

End Time: 2024-10-06T10:28:32.000Z

Shipping Cost: 15.79 GBP