Emile Levy, Death of Orpheus 1866 Engraving Goupil 1881
"The Death of Orpheus", engraving after the 1866' painting by Emile Levy, engraved by Goupil, original photogravure plate issued in 1881; printed on heavy stock paper; signed in plate "E. Levy, Pinx." and "Gravure Goupil et Cie."Goupil's original description sheet for this engraving is present.
According to Plato, Orpheus' grief for Euridice led him to treat the Thracian women with contempt, who in revenge tore him to pieces under the excitement of their Bacchanalian orgies.
Emile Levy (1826-1890) was a French genre and portrait painter. He was a pupil of Francois-Edouard Picot and Abel de Pujol. He also studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He won the Grand Prix de Rome in 1854. On his return from Italy, he settled in Paris, and devoted himself to portrait painting. He exhibited in the Salon, receiving a first-class medal in 1878, and the Legion of Honor in 1867. Among the more important of his works are: "Noah Cursing Canaan" (1855); "Supper of the Martyrs" (1859); "Death of Orpheus" (1866), Luxembourg Museum; "Love and Folly" (1874); "Infancy" (1885); "The Elements", Salon of Ministry of State, Louvre; "Presentation of the Virgin", Trinity Church, Paris.
In 1870s-1890s, Goupil & Cie were the leading art dealers in 19th century France, with headquarters in Paris and a network of branches in London, Brussels, The Hague, Berlin and Vienna, as well as in New York and Australia. Instrumental for this expansion was the "Ateliers Photographiques", a plant north of Paris, in Asnieres, which took up its work in 1869. The photogravures created in this plant dominated the world art market of 1880s-1890s.
The creation of the photogravure plate was a complicated process requiring a work by a photographer and experienced master-engraver. First, a copper plate was coated with a light-sensitive gelatin tissue which had been exposed to a film positive, and then etched, resulting in a high-quality intaglio print that can reproduce the detail and continuous tones of a photograph. It is a manual process. Therefore, the quality of the photogravure depends on the masterly execution by the engraver.
In contrary to steel engravings, photogravures were engraved on copper plates and leave a plate impression in the paper. Due to relative softness of copper, the editions of photogravures were limited to a few thousand copies similarly to copper engravings and etchings.
US: Priority (c.2-4 days) -------- $18.50
Canada: Priority (c.2-6 weeks) -- $38.50
World: Priority (c.2-8 weeks) --- $54.50
Condition Report: Design 6.1/8" x 9.3/4" [15.4cm x 25cm], the entire plate is 11.1/2" x 14.1/2" [29cm x 38cm]; a little foxing(a few stains), very good condition [see photos]
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"The Death of Orpheus", engraving after the 1866' painting by Emile Levy, engraved by Goupil, original photogravure plate issued in 1881; printed on heavy stock paper; signed in plate "E. Levy, Pinx." and "Gravure Goupil et Cie."Goupil's original description sheet for this engraving is present.
According to Plato, Orpheus' grief for Euridice led him to treat the Thracian women with contempt, who in revenge tore him to pieces under the excitement of their Bacchanalian orgies.
Emile Levy (1826-1890) was a French genre and portrait painter. He was a pupil of Francois-Edouard Picot and Abel de Pujol. He also studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He won the Grand Prix de Rome in 1854. On his return from Italy, he settled in Paris, and devoted himself to portrait painting. He exhibited in the Salon, receiving a first-class medal in 1878, and the Legion of Honor in 1867. Among the more important of his works are: "Noah Cursing Canaan" (1855); "Supper of the Martyrs" (1859); "Death of Orpheus" (1866), Luxembourg Museum; "Love and Folly" (1874); "Infancy" (1885); "The Elements", Salon of Ministry of State, Louvre; "Presentation of the Virgin", Trinity Church, Paris.
In 1870s-1890s, Goupil & Cie were the leading art dealers in 19th century France, with headquarters in Paris and a network of branches in London, Brussels, The Hague, Berlin and Vienna, as well as in New York and Australia. Instrumental for this expansion was the "Ateliers Photographiques", a plant north of Paris, in Asnieres, which took up its work in 1869. The photogravures created in this plant dominated the world art market of 1880s-1890s.
The creation of the photogravure plate was a complicated process requiring a work by a photographer and experienced master-engraver. First, a copper plate was coated with a light-sensitive gelatin tissue which had been exposed to a film positive, and then etched, resulting in a high-quality intaglio print that can reproduce the detail and continuous tones of a photograph. It is a manual process. Therefore, the quality of the photogravure depends on the masterly execution by the engraver.
In contrary to steel engravings, photogravures were engraved on copper plates and leave a plate impression in the paper. Due to relative softness of copper, the editions of photogravures were limited to a few thousand copies similarly to copper engravings and etchings.
US: Priority (c.2-4 days) -------- $18.50
Canada: Priority (c.2-6 weeks) -- $38.50
World: Priority (c.2-8 weeks) --- $54.50
Condition Report: Design 6.1/8" x 9.3/4" [15.4cm x 25cm], the entire plate is 11.1/2" x 14.1/2" [29cm x 38cm]; a little foxing(a few stains), very good condition [see photos]
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