Félicien Rops, Nude, Fish, 1880s, Etching

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Etching and drypoint on Japan paper. Image dimension 23.5x15 cm. Monogrammed and date in the plate. Hand titled in ink. … Read more Etching and drypoint on Japan paper. Image dimension 23.5x15 cm. Monogrammed and date in the plate. Hand titled in ink. Work alsoknown as "Sirène Ailée". Enclosed within an elegant oval frame adorned with a star emblem at the apex, the composition displays a hybrid chimerical creature kneeling on a shoreline. The entity features a nude female torso, dramatic bird-like wings, wild upright hair, and a scaly fish tail. Clutches of seashells and organic fragments rest on the ground before her hand This print has earned an incredibly prominent place in late 19th-century avant-garde literature and publishing history. The Meaning of the Motto: The Latin inscription "Non hic piscis omnium" literally translates to "This is not a fish for everyone". Borrowed from the circles of Charles Baudelaire’s publisher Auguste Poulet-Malassis, Rops used the motto to proclaim that high, decadent art was not intended for the uneducated masses, but was instead reserved exclusively for a select intellectual elite The Famous Literary Logo: Because of its message of refined elitism, this exact oval vignette was adopted as the official printer's mark and publisher's device by Edmond Bailly for his legendary Parisian publishing house, the Librairie de l'Art indépendant Due to being the trademark emblem of that specific press, this exact print famously decorates the title page of the original 1893 French first-edition of Oscar Wilde's celebrated play, Salomé. Rare, and in very good condition. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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