Félicien Rops, Woman from the Gâtinais, 19th Century, Engraving

Details

Description

Measurements (including frame):
height: 37 cm; width: 30.5 cm; depth: 1.5 cm

object :
an antique intaglio print on paper, … Read more Measurements (including frame):
height: 37 cm; width: 30.5 cm; depth: 1.5 cm

object :
an antique intaglio print on paper, created using the combined techniques of etching and drypoint, depicting an elderly woman in folk dress, seated in profile in a domestic setting. The work, signed "félicien rops" under the lower margin, can be traced back to the belgian artist's realist work. The technique is that of engraving with dense, crossed hatching, typical of rops's work, capable of constructing volumes, deep shadows, and a remarkable psychological rendering of the subject through the incised line alone: ​​the lowered head, the gaze turned toward her lap, and the folded hands convey an image of intense introspection. The woman wears a characteristic decorated headdress from the île-de-france region and a loose garment that falls to her knees; to her left, a large household container with utensils appears, while behind and above the composition are further objects and hanging dishes, elements that contribute to the creation of a rustic french interior rich in everyday details. The overlapping hatching creates very deep shadows that isolate the woman's face and pale figure, reflecting a particularly elaborate and expressive use of black and white. The print is framed in an antique dark wooden frame with reddish-brown streaks, mounted under glass as was customary at the time. The attribution to félicien rops is based on the full iconographic and technical coherence with the group of realist works created by the artist in the 1870s during his stays in the gâtinais area, near the forest of fontainebleau: the subject, the pose and the setting in fact correspond to the model known as "femme du gâtinais" or "paysanne du gâtinais", datable to 1874-1875 and catalogued by eugène rouir under numbers 584 and 585, studies also confirmed by a preparatory drawing preserved at the morgan library in new york and by a letter from rops himself from 1879 in which the artist discusses the genesis of this composition. On the back of the work is an original label from the firm "huis e. Crols," an antwerp glassmaker and framer active in hendrik conscienceplein. This document documents the work's historical passage through the belgian antiques market, consistent with the artist's namur origins.

useful information for evaluating the item:
on the antiques market and at auction, félicien rops's works offer an extremely wide range of values, reflecting the extraordinary diversity of his output. The artist's most significant result ever achieved was "le calvaire (les sataniques)," sold in 2007 at sotheby's london for $334,514. Particularly famous erotic drawings, such as a version of "pornocrates," have sold for over €230,000. These results, while referring to works of a completely different scope and format from the present example, testify to the artist's historical importance and international prestige in the panorama of 19th-century european graphic art. For small and medium-format prints signed on the plate, the category to which this example belongs, the market is much more accessible: at specialized auctions, prices for small and medium-sized etchings by rops have been estimated between €300 and €1,000, depending on the precise measurements, the subject depicted, and the printing period. Individual figurative etchings of similar formats, meanwhile, are offered on prestigious international platforms such as 1stdibs for between €400 and €1,000 for the rarest ones (such as "détritus humain," offered for approximately $1,080), with an average value of around $800 for similar prints, confirming an active and cross-sectional collector's market even for smaller-format prints. Given the quality of the engraving and the historical and collectible value associated with the antique belgian frame and provenance documented by the huis e. Crols label of antwerp, this work should certainly be placed in the mid-range of the above-mentioned price range.

information on the artist and/or manufacturer:
félicien rops was born in namur, belgium, in 1833, and established himself as one of the most original and versatile figures in 19th-century european graphic art. Throughout his career, he explored satire, realism, scenes of popular life, and, later, the erotic, macabre, and symbolist worlds that would bring him lasting international fame. Educated in brussels, rops was among the founders of the société libre des beaux-arts and collaborated closely with the parisian literary and artistic world, forging a fundamental cultural bond with charles baudelaire and initiating a decisive collaboration with the publisher auguste poulet-malassis in 1864. He also illustrated works by authors such as barbey d'aurevilly, mallarmé, verlaine, and péladan, becoming one of the highest-paid and most sought-after illustrators in paris. In the 1870s, he produced numerous life studies during his stays in the french countryside, particularly in the gâtinais region near the forest of fontainebleau, creating a body of engravings dedicated to popular and peasant figures, including the subject examined here, less well-known to the general public than his celebrated erotic-symbolist work but of great interest for understanding his artistic evolution. He was also an extraordinary experimenter with intaglio techniques, using and sometimes combining etching, drypoint, aquatint, varnish, and heliogravure. His works are now held in important international institutions, including the musée provincial félicien rops in namur, which is entirely dedicated to him, the musée d'orsay in paris, and the morgan library in new york. They continue to be the subject of exhibitions and specialized studies that confirm his role as a key figure in late-nineteenth-century european graphic art and printmaking. This piece has an attribution mark,
i am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
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