Camille Bellanger, La Blanchisseuse, 1898, Lithograph on Paper

Details

Description

Camille bellanger (1853-1923)

la blanchisseuse
(the laundress)

original lithograph from the glorious portfolio "l'estampe moderne", issue #9 (january … Read more Camille bellanger (1853-1923)

la blanchisseuse
(the laundress)

original lithograph from the glorious portfolio "l'estampe moderne", issue #9 (january 1898)

on wove paper

year: 1898

size (sheet): 405 x 305 mm

signed in the plate "camille bellanger 1897", lower left

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

camille bellanger was a distinguished french painter and lithographer who thrived within the prestigious circles of the 19th-century academic tradition. A dedicated pupil of masters like alexandre cabanel, bellanger’s work is a testament to the technical precision and narrative clarity prized by the école des beaux-arts. While he was highly regarded for his large-scale mythological and historical compositions, he also possessed a remarkable gift for capturing the quiet intimacy of daily life.

his style is defined by a luminous clarity and a refined use of color, often imbuing his subjects with a gentle, idealistic grace. Beyond his own creations, bellanger was a passionate educator and theorist, authoring influential treatises on drawing that sought to preserve classical techniques for future generations. His contributions earned him the légion d'honneur, cementing his status as a pillar of the french artistic establishment. To look at a bellanger is to see the enduring elegance of the belle époque.
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from the text on the tissue paper:

vadé, au siècle dernier, met en scène des blanchisseuses qui ne se laissent courtiser que pour le bon motif. « une blanchisseuse, dit l'une d'elles à sa fille, n'est pas une grosse dame; il y a blanchisseuse et blanchisseuse, toi t'es blanchisseuse en menu; et quand même tu ne blanchirais que du gros, dès qu'on a de l'inducation, fille de paille vaut garçon d'or. »
a toutes les époques, les artistes n'ont pas dédaigné de s'occuper des petits métiers; et la blanchisseuse, en particulier, a souvent inspiré leur plume ou leur crayon.
si le surnom de poule d'eau est donné aux lavandières parce que, comme cet oiseau, elles ont le bec bien ouvert et se tiennent sur le bord des berges, la blanchisseuse, dans le langage pittoresque du peuple, est appelée papillon : comme lui, elle vient des champs et, comme lui, elle a des ailes figurées par le linge qu'elle porte sur les épaules.

english translation:

in the last century, vadé depicted laundresses who only allowed themselves to be courted for honorable reasons. "a laundress," says one of them to her daughter, "is not a grand lady; but there are laundresses and then there are laundresses. You are a fine-linen laundress; and even if you only washed coarse fabric, as long as one has an education, a girl of straw is worth a boy of gold."

in every era, artists have not disdained to concern themselves with the "little trades"; the laundress, in particular, has often inspired their pens or their pencils.

if the nickname "water-hen" is given to washerwomen because, like that bird, they keep their beaks wide open and stay along the banks, the laundress, in the picturesque language of the people, is called a "butterfly": like the butterfly, she comes from the fields, and like it, she has wings—symbolized by the linen she carries upon her shoulders.

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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