Studio: international art (22.1901)

Coloured Etchings in France

. remarkable things. His

"quai de l'hotki db villb" from a coloured etching by e. bejot , . . °

originality is revealed even
more strongly in his land-
still further advance, greater suppleness and in- scapes, Les anciennes jetees du Tnport, Coucher de
creased subtlety, and a complete grasp of his Soleil sur la Bresle, Au Triport, Les Hauteurs de
medium. I should regret not to mention among Crozon, Clair de Lune, Bords de I'Oise d Prccy,
the artist's most successful plates, Le Pas difficile Moulins a Dordrecht, L'Etang and Au Bois, and
(see page 10), Au Bord de I'Eau, and the Bal his two latest, La Montague and Fin du Jour,
de POpcra, in eight or ten colours, done for the M. Houdard never has more than fifty of his
" Estampe Nouvelle," a publication issued for the etchings printed.

delectation of a little group of amateurs of which the The most notable work by M. M. Sprinckmann

learned connoisseur, M. Rodrigues, is the president, is L'Impasse Saint-Eustache (page 3). His etching

Only fifty of these plates were printed, as is custo- called Le Baiser is less interesting, but qualities of

mary with M. Ranft's etchings. the same order as those seen in the first-named plate

M. Jeanniot is one of the most faithful adherents are conspicuous in his Fafade de Saint Etienne-du-

to process No. 2, that is to say, the superposition Mont. But, after all, this is scarcely etching in

of plates, and if it sometimes happens that he colours, but rather etching in one colour, expressive

employs process No. 1, it is only that at the end and thoroughly honest as it may be in point of

of his work he may add a few more solid touches. execution.

M. Jeanniot is a real engraver. To discover this Practically the same thing may be said of the

it suffices to examine with some closeness his Tcte de Femme (here reproduced in colours) by M.

remarkable plates, already mentioned, Le Polo (see Marius Borrel, a work of two plates, one printed in

page 4) and Sur la Plage (see page 7), his Femme black and one in sanguine. In any case the effect

dans une Berceuse, his Sada Yacco, or his Les is charming.

Modistes. Allied to the keenest sense of observa- M. C. Betout is a refined artist, who delights in

tion, he possesses a sort of fantastic imagination ot fine and delicate colours. His domestic subjects,

the strangest kind. M. Jeanniot's accuracy of Le Nourrisson, Enfant endormi dans les bras de sa

vision and delicacy of observation find admirable mire, Enfant a la fenetre, and Lucien, representing

expression in coloured etchings. It is seldom that a baby in its chair, are full of charm. Other works

more than twenty-five proofs are printed. of his calling for mention are Enfants au pare (see

M. Charles Houdard, whose work has been page 9) and an exquisite dry-point in colours,

discussed in The Studio on more than one Sur les Fortifs.

occasion, is, like M. Jeanniot, a pure engraver, La Femme et Pen]ant, by M. Fernand Piet, is not

never using any process other than the super- less delightful; his colour scheme is subtle and

position of the plates. His earliest efforts in this fresh, and altogether attractive,

direction were some delightful decorative studies I have kept to the end M. Eugene Godin, several

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