Auguste Donnay, Artémis, 1898, Lithograph on Paper

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Description

Auguste donnay (1862-1921)

artémis
(diana)

original lithograph from the glorious portfolio "l'estampe moderne", issue #10 (february 1898)

… Read more Auguste donnay (1862-1921)

artémis
(diana)

original lithograph from the glorious portfolio "l'estampe moderne", issue #10 (february 1898)

on wove paper

year: 1898

size (sheet): 405 x 305 mm

signed in the plate "aug donnay 97", 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

auguste donnay was a quintessential soul of the walloon landscape, whose art captured the mystical essence of the meuse valley. A leading figure in the symbolist movement in belgium, donnay was deeply rooted in his native liège, where he spent much of his career. Unlike many of his contemporaries who sought the bustling energy of paris, he found his greatest inspiration in the rolling hills, misty rivers, and ancient forests of the ardennes.

his style is defined by a poetic synthesis of line and color, often featuring flattened perspectives and decorative silhouettes that reflect the influence of japanese prints. Donnay’s landscapes are rarely just physical locations; they are emotional states, bathed in a soft, ethereal light that suggests a world of quiet myth and legend. As a professor at the académie des beaux-arts de liège, he mentored a new generation of artists, ensuring that his vision of the "soul of the land" remained a cornerstone of belgian art.
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from the text on the tissue paper:

l'âcre senteur des bois montant de toutes parts,
chasseresse, a gonflé ta narine élargie,
et dans ta virginale et virile énergie,
rejetant tes cheveux en arrière, tu pars!

et du rugissement des rauques léopards
jusqu'à la nuit tu fais retentir ortygie,
et bondis à travers la haletante orgie
des grands chiens éventrés sur l'herbe rouge épars.

et bien plus, il te plaît, déesse, que la ronce
te morde et que la dent ou la griffe s'enfonce
dans tes bras glorieux que le fer a vengés;

car ton cœur veut goûter cette douceur cruelle
de mêler, en tes jeux, une pourpre immortelle
au sang horrible et noir des monstres égorgés.

jose-maria de heredia.

english translation:

the acrid scent of the woods rising from all sides,
huntress, has flared your dilated nostrils,
and in your virginal and virile energy,
tossing your hair back, you set forth!

and with the roaring of the raucous leopards,
until nightfall you make ortygia resound,
and leap through the panting orgy
of great hounds disemboweled, scattered on the red grass.

and even more, it pleases you, goddess, that the bramble
should bite you, and that tooth or claw should sink
into your glorious arms which the iron has avenged;

for your heart wishes to taste that cruel sweetness
of mingling, in your games, an immortal purple
with the horrible black blood of slaughtered monsters.

josé-maria de heredia.

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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