Morning Walk
Promenade Matinale (original French title)
Etching and aquatint printed in color on wove paper, circa 1900.
Edition of 50.
We have encountered an impression with the stamp of Edmond Sagot, Paris. He may or may not have published this print, but he certainly was, for a time, Richard Ranft's dealer.
The distinct format of this print started to be used by French printmakers in the 1880s under the influence of Japanese prints and scrolls, which started to circulate in artistic circles. An early famous example of an oblong vertical etching in France is by James Jacques Tissot and is titled "Promenade dans la Neige" (Winter's Walk). It seems Richard Ranft may have wanted to create a colored pendant to it, diametrically opposed when it comes to the season, as he depicts a warm summer day. Both prints are almost identical in size!
Ranft always liked to depict the more enjoyable side of life: parties, sunny landscapes, elegant women. He didn't shy away from images of labor, but even those images convey a refined dignity. In "Promenade Matinale" Ranft gives us a snapshot of just how good life can get. Two beautifully dressed women are donning fine summer dresses on their morning walk. This is not a quick casual outing to have the dog go and do his business. The redheaded woman has taken the time to tie a black ribbon choker around her neck, while the black-haired woman slipped into a fitted and arresting red dress and took her fancy umbrella along. Puffy clouds suggest a lazy breeze. The blue-green water suggests the sun striking the water's surface. The umbrella and the light white dress evoke the possibility of summer heat. At their feet, a Belgian malinois (malinois noir) is trying to decide what comes next. Did he just come from a run, or is he about the take off? The elegant white cross is prominently displayed in this print. This dog was their owner's pride. This is the start of good day...
Signed and numbered in pencil.
