Guillaume Dubufe, L'Enfant, 1899, Original Lithograph

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Description

Guillaume dubufe (1853-1909)

l'enfant
(the child)
a.k.a. The house of the virgin

original lithograph from the glorious portfolio "l'estampe moderne", … Read more Guillaume dubufe (1853-1909)

l'enfant
(the child)
a.k.a. The house of the virgin

original lithograph from the glorious portfolio "l'estampe moderne", issue #24 (april 1899)

on wove paper

year: 1899

size (sheet): 405 x 305 mm
size (image): 314 x 204 mm

signed in the plate, bottom right

blind stamp of the publisher, bottom right, out of the image

excellent condition: minor signs of age
great colours
full margins (not cropped, not trimmed)

same print in:
the cleveland museum of art, cleveland, inventory: 2014.695.xx

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about the collection (l'estampe moderne)

l'estampe moderne appeared in 1897-1899 as a series of 24 monthly fascicles, each containing 4 original lithographs, printed by parisian imprimerie champenois. Many accomplished european art nouveau painters contributed works to this publication, which contained only original prints invented and produced especially for this collection. The publication was edited by charles masson and h. Piazza. Each issue came in a paper cover bearing an original lithograph by alphonse mucha.
each lithograph was accompanied by a tissue containing the details (title of the artwork, name of the artist, etc.) and a short text by a well-known author who inspired the artist (this one being by edmond pilon).
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about the artist

guillaume édouard marie dubufe (1853 - 1909) was a french painter, decorator and illustrator.

his father édouard was a painter and his mother juliette dubufe (the daughter of composer pierre-joseph-guillaume zimmermann) was a sculptor. His grandfather, claude, was also a painter and charles gounod was his uncle. Sadly, his mother died while giving birth to his sister hortense when he was only two.

as might be expected, he received his first art lessons from his father, then pursued his studies at the école des beaux-arts under alexis-joseph mazerolle. His first major commission involved decorating the ceiling of the foyer at the comédie-française.

when not staying at their mansion in paris, his family stayed at their villa in anacapri on the isle of capri, where he painted scenes of his home that would be exhibited in 1906 at the georges petit gallery. From 1888 to 1890, he produced a series of paintings featuring the virgin mary. During the 1890s, he decorated the ceilings of the lobau gallery at the hôtel de ville, the banquet hall at the élysée palace and the library at the sorbonne. In 1896, he designed and produced the décor for the "salon national des beaux-arts". Four years later, he was one of several artists who provided decorations for le train bleu, a famous restaurant near the gare de lyon. From 1906 to 1909, he and édouard rosset-granger decorated the town hall of saint-mandé. He also illustrated several works by the french dramatist émile augier.

he died at sea. His friend, the sculptor albert bartholomé provided the bas-relief for his memorial at père lachaise cemetery. In 1921, his mansion in paris was acquired by marie henner, who turned it into a museum. It was donated to the french government in 1926, and is now known as the musée national jean-jacques henner.

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from the text on the tissue paper, by edmond pilon:

un enfant vêtu de sa seule nudité
a fleuri de sa chair les seuls champs de l'été.
et tout l'hymne de la mer et de la forêt
pour acclamer le passage de l'enfant
a murmuré sa joie et répété son chant,
de buisson en guéret
et de plaine parée en plateau de fleurs;

ses yeux ont su le doux éclat des mers ou meurt
un peu de la clarté du ciel sur l'or des flots,
les sources ont soupiré à le trouver beau,
les feuilles ont frémi à le vêtir
d'un vent pur de brise et de zéphyre
et les parfums des plantes
sur sa chair d'ambre
et de printemps
ont enlacé leur voile de calices odorants;
mais l'enfant,
aux brises et aux fleurs
a préféré la jeune joie des vendangeurs ;
et, aux rayons,
les seules charsons
des moissonneurs.

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important:

. The listing is for the original print, in the above mentioned excellent condition.
. The original tissue paper introduction will be given to the buyer as a gift
. The cover by mucha and the edition (back of the cover) are shown as a reference and proof of authenticity this piece has an attribution mark,
i am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution See less