Extremely rare original photograph showing Charles Baudelaire on albumen paper, contemporary print in carte de visite format, mounted on a board from the Nadar workshop, 35 boulevart (sic) des Capucines; “Photographic portrait for us taken by Nadar. Taken the same day as the previous one, same dimensions, same clothes. The waistcoat is still unbuttoned but Baudelaire hides his hands in the pockets of his trousers. Seen face on, he seems more troubled and sadder than in the previous attempt.” (Ourousof, 1896)
“Another carte de visite from the same day as the previous no. 41 [...] a contemporary albumen print found in the Musée d'Orsay collections (Provenance: from the Braive collection, then the Marie-Thérèse and André Jammes collection, 1991, acquired by the Musées Nationaux with the support of the Heritage fund [...] Musée d'Orsay, fiche 39389) (S. Plantureux, Charles Baudelaire ou le rêve d'un curieux).
This photo, taken in 1862, was sold between 1862 and 1871, as evidenced by the photographer's address on the back of the board. Only two of Baudelaire's poses seem to have been retained from this session.
“If photography is allowed to replace art in some of its functions, it will soon have replaced or corrupted it altogether, thanks to the natural alliance it will find with the multitude of nonsense” wrote Charles Baudelaire in the Salon de 1859.
We know of only fifteen different photographic portraits of Baudelaire, taken between 1855 and 1866 (three sessions at Nadar, three at Carjat and one at Neyt), for some of which there remains only one copy.
Baudelaire and Nadar met in 1843 and their friendship endured until the poet's death in 1867. The photographer shot a total of seven portraits of his friend between 1855 and 1862. The two men, full of admiration for one another, paid each other moving tributes in their respective works: Baudelaire dedicated “Le rêve d'un curieux” “The dream of a curious man” (in Les Fleurs du Mal) to the photographer, who dedicated to him, in addition to the photographic caricatures and portraits, an unvarnished work titled Charles Baudelaire intime: le poète vierge (1911).
Extremely rare and beautiful copy of this little-known photograph of Baudelaire by the most important French photographer of the 19th century.
Henri Floury, Paris 1904, 20x26cm, bound.
First edition, one of 50 numbered copies on Japon, the only deluxe issue, complete with the double set of full-page engravings.
Illustrated with 19 full-page engravings after Whistler par H. de J. W., Prunaire, Henry Wolf, H. Guérard, T. Beltrand, Thomas R. Way, Clot and numerous drawings within the text.
Half red morocco with binding, smooth spine, gilt date at foot, red marbled paper boards, endpapers and pastedowns, very discreet scratch to the second board, original soft covers preserved, gilt top edge, contemporary binding signed Pouillet.
A fine, perfectly bound copy.
Copy signed and inscribed by Théodore Duret to Monsieur A. Jung.
Rare original lithograph in crayon manner, executed by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes for L’Estampe Moderne, dated 1 August 1869, from series no. 12 issued in April 1898.
One of 50 deluxe proofs printed on japon paper with wide margins, on vellum laid down on japon paper, signed and dated in the plate, with the publisher’s blindstamp of a child’s profile in the lower margin, and numbered stamp of the deluxe issue on verso. A faint dark stain to one corner, with slight offsetting of the preceding plate. Preceded by a tissue guard bearing the artist’s name, title, an excerpt of text, and a short presentation of the engraving; with an additional blank tissue guard.
Lithograph inspired by an excerpt from Armand Dayot, reproduced on the tissue guard of the print.
Magnificent French monthly publication issued between May 1897 and April 1899, L’Estampe Moderne consists of original chromolithographs which, unlike other journals such as Les Maîtres de l’Affiche and as stated on the tissue guards, were created expressly for the magazine by each artist.
A total of 100 prints were issued, reflecting the major artistic movements of the late 19th century: Symbolism, Art Nouveau, the Pre-Raphaelites, Orientalism and the Belle Époque. Each instalment of four prints was published in 2,000 copies priced at 3.50 francs, with 100 on japon paper offered at 10 francs. Henri Piazza also planned an extremely limited de luxe printing: 50 copies on large-margined japon and 50 in black on china paper at the considerable price of 30 francs.
This large-format plate is superbly printed on the most prestigious of papers: japon. Thick, silky, satiny and pearly, it makes each sheet a work in its own right. Its ink absorption and affinity with colour also make it the ideal support for these magnificent lithographs.
French collectors’ enthusiasm for artistic posters increased in the early 1890s. Octave Uzanne, to describe this fervour, coined the term affichomanie. The poster, originally popular and pasted in the streets of Paris, was elevated to the status of art object, its ephemeral medium transformed into something precious and destined for preservation.
Piazza’s ambition was to detach the poster from its advertising function and raise it to the rank of an art form in its own right, on a par with the luxury illustrated book. He thus composed a prestigious collection of entirely original works by the most celebrated European artists of the day: Georges de Feure, Eugène Grasset, Henri Detouche, Émile Berchmans, Louis Rhead, Gaston de Latenay, Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer, Gustave-Max Stevens, Charles Doudelet, Hans Christiansen, Henri Fantin-Latour, Steinlen, Ibels, Engels, Willette, Henri Meunier, Evenepoël, Bellery-Desfontaines, Charles Léandre, and others.
A fine example in the artist’s Symbolist manner.
"Immortalité" - Original lithograph on Japan paper – L'Estampe Moderne
L'Estampe Moderne | Imprimerie Champenois for C. H. Masson & H. Piazza | Paris [May 1897] | subject: 24,5 x 34,5cm| plate: 40.8 x 55 cm | one leaf and a captioned silk tissue
Rare Henri Fantin-Latour color lithograph heightened with gold published by L'Estampe Moderne, series number 13, May 1897.
One of 50 ‘grand luxe' proofs printed on papier japon with wide margins, signed by the artist in the plate, publisher's stamp to the lower margin, de luxe printing numbered stamp to verso, small trace of stamp from the previous plate; the plate itself preceded by a silk tissue with the name of the artist, title, a poem and a caption.
L'Estampe moderne was a magnificent monthly French publication published between May 1897 and April 1899. It included unpublished chromolithographs specially made by each artist for the magazine – as mentioned on the protective silk tissue over each plate – unlike other publications such as Les Maîtres de l'Affiche. 100 prints were published in total, covering major artistic movements of the late 19th-century: Symbolism, Art Nouveau, Pre-Raphaelites, Orientalists and ‘Belle époque'. 2,000 copies were printed of each fascicule containing four prints and sold for 3.50F. 100 copies were printed on papier japon for 10F.
Henri Piazza also planned a very luxurious secret printing of 50 copies on papier japon with wide margins and 50 in black and white on papier chine at the considerable price of 30F.
This well-sized print is superbly printed in colors on the most prestigious of papers: japon. Thick, creamy, satin and with a nice sheen, it contributes to making each page a work of art in itself. Its qualities of absorption and its affinity for colors make it the ideal support for these lovely lithographs.
The interest of French collectors for artistic posters grew from the beginning of the 1890s. Octave Uzanne invented a term for this new form of collection: ‘affichomanie', or poster mania. The initially common poster displayed in the streets of Paris became a work of art and its ephemeral material became precious and made to last.
Piazza decided to separate the poster from its advertising role and to elevate it to a form of art, similarly to luxury illustrated artists' books. He put together a prestigious collection of entirely original artworks by the most fashionable European artists: Georges de Feure, Eugène Grasset, Henri Detouche, Emile Berchmans, Louis Rhead, Gaston de Latenay, Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer, Gustave-Max Stevens, Charles Doudelet, Hans Christiansen, Henri Fantin-Latour, Steinlen, Ibels, Engels, Willette, Henri Meunier, Evenepoël, Bellery-Desfontaines, Charles Léandre, etc.
A very fine plate.
