Antoine Calbet, L'Inconnue, 1897, Lithograph on Paper

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Description

Antoine calbet (1860-1942)

l'inconnue

original lithograph from the glorious portfolio "l'estampe moderne", issue #5 (september 1897)

on wove paper

year: … Read more Antoine calbet (1860-1942)

l'inconnue

original lithograph from the glorious portfolio "l'estampe moderne", issue #5 (september 1897)

on wove paper

year: 1897

size (sheet): 405 x 305 mm

signed on the plate "a calbet", lower right

blind stamp of the publisher, lower right

excellent condition: minor signs of age and handling
full margins (not cropped, not trimmed)
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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.
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the artist

antoine calbet was a prolific french painter, illustrator, and watercolorist, best known for his delicate and sensuous depictions of the female form. A student of alexandre cabanel, calbet refined a style that seamlessly blended academicism with the soft, ethereal qualities of rococo revival. He gained widespread acclaim for his ability to capture light and skin tones with a luminous, almost pearlescent quality, making him a favorite for illustrating romantic and galant literature.

his work is characterized by a "veau d'or" elegance—refined, graceful, and unapologetically decorative. Calbet was a master of the vignette, often surrounding his subjects with floral motifs or misty, atmospheric backgrounds that echoed the belle époque obsession with beauty and artifice. Beyond his celebrated lithographs for l'estampe moderne, he was a sought-after decorator, contributing large-scale murals to public buildings and theaters, including the buffet of the gare de lyon. His legacy remains defined by a polished, poetic aesthetic that favored charm and visual pleasure above all else.
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from the text on the tissue paper:

"car je ne sais ni sa pensée ni ses pas,
ni quels destins l'ont ici amenée
au soir où je la vis debout près de la mer
et pure comme si elle était née,
svelte de quelque conque ou blanche d'une écume,
du sable de la grève ou du sel de la mer!
est-elle une
de ces captives que les hautes nefs de bois et d'or
ravissent à la rive et mènent vers le port
et qu'on vend au retour sur le môle
avec le corail et les oiseaux?
son enfance erra-t-elle auprès des calmes eaux
d'un fleuve qu'elle aura suivi de saule en saule?
a-t-elle porté l'amphore sur l'épaule
ou l'urne funéraire en ses pieuses mains
et sur les asphodèles du chemin
ses pieds ont-ils marché vers un temple de marbre?
en tes songes as-tu des villes et des arbres
ou si la vaste mer est ta seule mémoire?
— henri de régnier
(aréthuse)."

english translation:

for i know neither her thoughts nor her footsteps,
nor what destinies brought her here
on the evening i saw her standing by the sea
and pure as if she were born,
slender from some conch or white from a foam,
from the sand of the shore or the salt of the sea!
is she one
of those captives that the tall ships of wood and gold
ravish from the coast and lead toward the port
and who are sold upon return on the pier
along with the coral and the birds?
did her childhood wander beside the calm waters
of a river she followed from willow to willow?
has she carried the amphora upon her shoulder
or the funerary urn in her pious hands,
and upon the asphodels of the path
did her feet walk toward a temple of marble?
in your dreams do you have cities and trees,
or is the vast sea your only memory?
— henri de régnier
(aréthuse).
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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 and edition 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