Thursdays Antiques- Fine 18th, 19th and turn of the century French art and antiques

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Directly from Paris: Finest quality 18th century French etching, after the original painting by Francois Boucher, by Master Engraver, GILLES DEMARTEAU, 1722- 1776
					GILLES DEMARTEAU 1722- 1776 Master engraver, Gilles Demarteau's exceptional, 18th century, crayon-manner etching after Francois Boucher's, Femme nue etendue sur le ventre avec un Amour. Without its giltwood frame it measures 11.25" x 15". This etching is featured on page 135 of David Wakefield's book
			entitled, Boucher. Mr. Wakefield states that this seems to have been made after a painting that is now lost. Boucher painted versions of this subject, but there is no version known that contains the cupid. Mr. Wakefield identifies the model as an Irish blonde named Louise O'Murphy. She and Boucher's wife were the painters favorite models. Louise O'Murphy was also the mistress to King Louis XV and appears more than once in Casanova's Memoirs. In 1753 she became the first occupant of the Kings private harem, known as Le Parc aux Cerfs.
about DEMARTEAU:
GILLES DEMARTEAU was born in Liege in 1722. After becoming a member of the Academy of Paris in 1769, he was appointed by King Louis XV to the position of Court Engraver. This prestigious position also provided him a residence at the Louvre.
Demarteau is considered by scholars to have been one of the most important engravers of his period. His innovative techniques in engraving, using various "casters", allowed him to achieve a quality that is similar to that of drawing. The level of beauty and perfection that he achieved, in chalk-manner engravings, provided him with the much deserved credit he received in the development of this 'new' medium. (The chalk-manner engraving was first used in 1735 by Pond and Knapton in England and shortly after that the French engraver Jean-Charles Francois brought these techniques to France). Demarteau is said to have been a close friend of Francois Boucher and, in fact, Boucher made drawings specifically for him to engrave. His prints are part of the permanent collections in museums worldwide and have been in the private collections of the world's most important art collectors, such as Baron Adrien Wittert and the Rothschilds. We are thrilled to have acquired this exceptional piece.

	An interesting note: Many of these engravings were printed in blood, a fashionable technique in 18th century France!
A FINE PAIR OF 18TH CENTURY FRENCH ETCHINGS BY GILLES DEMARTEAU 1722 - 1776 after original drawings by Francois Boucher Provenance: The estate of the Prince and Princess Serge Obolensky




The color of the paper (pale beige), is lighter than it appears in these images.
This lovely pair of 18th century French, red chalk-manner etchings by master engraver, Gilles Demarteau (court engraver to King Louis XV), are after the original rococo drawings by Francois Boucher and depict cherubs in allegorical scenes representing Music and Art. These etchings are laid on board and measure 22" tall by 18" wide in their contemporary giltwood, Louis XV- style frames. They exhibit minor wear, with a few small areas of foxing. An identical engraving, to one of our pair, was once part of the Rothschild collection, exhibited at the Louvre. David Wakefield states in his book, entitled 'Boucher', that Demarteau "is the ideal interpreter of Boucher, capturing the full flowing lines, the sensual curves and the subtle contrasts of light and shade which characterize the original drawings." Demarteau's 18th century etchings are part of permanent collections in museums worldwide. From the Estate of Prince Serge Obolensky (1890 - 1978) formal name: Serge Platonovich Obolensky, Prince Obolensky-Neledinsky-Meletzky An Oxford educated businessman, Prince Obolensky is said to have lived a colorful life in Russia, then England, and finally in the United States. His first wife was Princess Catherine Yourievsky, daughter to Russian Czar Alexander II. The Prince was survived by his third wife, Princess Marilyn Wall Obolensky, who sadly passed away in October.
directly from Paris:
				LOUIS MARIN BONNET 1736 - 1793 A finest quality 18th century French etching, after Francois Boucher's, Nu au drape, by Louis Marin Bonnet. Without its giltwood frame it measures 15 3/8" by 10". This crayon-manner etching is beautifully done in black and white on blue paper. Bonnet, like Demarteau, was considered among the most accomplished masters of two-color graphic reproduction techniques in 18th century France. In fact, Bonnet is also attributed with introducing a third color to the technique of chalk-manner etchings. His prints have also exhibited in museums worldwide.

				To read more about Bonnet and Demarteau, and view a fine selection of full color reproduced prints, from each artists oeuvre, we highly recommend the text titled, "Colorful Impressions, The Printmaking Revolution in Eighteenth-Century France, published in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
		Our images, photographed through glass, do not capture this prints beautiful blue color. Higher resolution images coming shortly.



	PAIR OF 19th CENTURY FRENCH COLOR PRINTED ENGRAVINGS WITH A ROYAL PROVENANCE Charming pair of French antique engravings by J. Couche after the original paintings by Fragonard and Caresme. Provenance: The estate of the Prince and Princess Serge Obolensky

				FRENCH ANTIQUE ETCHINGS Gilles Demarteau II/ le Jeune 1750 - 1802 after Jean-Baptiste Marie Huet. Gilles Demarteau II/ le Jeune (Gilles Antoine Demarteau), was the nephew of Gilles Demarteau, the elder. These, hand colored, French antique etchings measure 21" by 18" and are presented in period giltwood frames. .


PAIR OF CHARMING FRENCH ANTIQUE PRINTS IN GILTWOOD FRAMES. Measuring 11" by 9 3/4" and 9 1/2" by 10 1/2".




Very lovely pair of 18th/19th Century French Etchings. Markings read, N. Lancret Pinx Hel. Braun & Co. In antique giltwood frames they measure 13 3/4" by 13 3/4". Nicolas Lancret was born in Paris in 1690. He was a French genre painter whose brilliant depictions of fetes galantes or scenes of courtly amusements reflected the society of his time. He trained as an engraver before apprenticing as a painter and studied under Watteau and Gillot. He was a student at the Academie Royale, where he was expelled for "bad" behavior. Lancret then entered the workshop of Claude Gillot. By 1719 he joined the Academie Royale and began to achieve large commercial success . The number of his paintings is immense, of which over eighty have been engraved.

PAIR OF 19th CENTURY FRENCH PRINTS IN GILTWOOD BOW FRAMES.

21 3/4" by 17 3/4". Some losses and restoration to gilding.

		EARLY 1900's AQUATINT, SIGNED ARTHUR L. COX, after FRAGONARD'S 18th CENTURY FRENCH GENRE PAINTING, THE SWING This beautiful aquatint, measuring 12.5" by 15.5", was engraved by one of England's most important turn-of-the-century engravers and is after Jean-Honore Fragonard's The Swing (Les hazards heureux de l'escarpolette). Fragonard's original painting is dated 1767, and is owned by the Wallace Collection museum, of London.


	EARLY 1900's AQUATINT, SIGNED WILL HENDERSON, after WATTEAU'S 18th CENTURY FRENCH GENRE PAINTING, VENETIAN PLEASURES Henderson, like Cox, was considered to be one of the most important turn-of-the-century English engravers. Jean-Antoine Watteau's Venetian Pleasures, c.1718-19, belongs to the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh



Finely executed, with a painterly quality, this aquatint is presented in a lovely contemporary giltwood frame with a blush-colored silk matte. With its frame, it measures 23.5" by 20".