Charles Francois Daubigny “Pladge de Villerville” Etching


Charles Daubigny As famous for his original etchings as for his paintings, Charles Daubigny holds a prime position in mid nineteenth century French art. A leading artist of the great Barbizon landscape school, Charles Francois Daubigny directly influenced the following generation of Impressionist painters. At the age of nineteen Charles Daubigny began formal art studies in the Paris studio of Paul Delaroche. His first exhibited works of art were shown at the Paris Salon in 1838 and during the following decades he obtained numerous medals and awards for both his etchings and paintings.

Charles Francois Daubigny regarded etching as a vital force in his art. Between 1838 and the year of his death he created more than one hundred and fifty works of art in the graphic mediums -- far more than his fellow Barbizon artists, Millet and Corot. Mainly self-taught as an etcher, Charles Daubigny’s graphic art has been actively collected for over one hundred and fifty years.

The Gazette des Beaux-Arts: The revival of etching as a prominent form of art first took place in France in the mid nineteenth century. Sparked by the Paris etchings of Charles Meryon and by the Barbizon landscape etchings of Charles Daubigny, Millet, Corot and Jacque, French artists elevated etching to a creative process of art as vital as painting or sculpture. Such an outburst of artistic energy in this field had not been seen since the days of Rembrandt and other seventeenth century Dutch master etchers.

At the vanguard of this wave was the Paris based Gazette des Beaux Arts. Beginning with its initial publication in 1859, the Gazette regularly commissioned the greatest etchers of the day to supply original graphic art for publication. Nineteenth century editions included original etchings by Charles Francois Daubigny, Goya, Meryon, Whistler, Seymour Haden, Max Liebermann, Albert Besnard and others. Thus some of the greatest etchings of the nineteenth century originated from this publisher.

Charles Francois Daubigny “Plage de Villerville” Etching. Published by The Gazette des Beaux-Arts, Paris on Laid paper, measuring 5 by 8 inches (plate mark) with nice margins.

Art (paintings, prints, frames)