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Aquatint: a painterly intaglio technique

While printmakers have always wanted to present some shading or grayscale in their work, until the discovery of aquatint in the 17th century, doing so was technically very challenging.  And with a few notable exceptions, such as in the etchings of Francisco Goya, aquatint, this most painterly of intaglio techniques, remained unpracticed by most printmakers.  Aquatint started to gain popularity in the latter part of the 19th century, likely as etching was being rediscovered by Impressionists.  These artists were often eager to replicate in their prints the atmospheric qualities found in their paintings.  Aquatint, with its granular texture, lends itself to effects that offer an endless range of shading, both in black and white and in color.  Because it was practiced so masterfully by artists of the Modern Era, we here at Armstrong Fine Art are true “suckers” for a finely crafted aquatint.  Here are a few we have, or have had in the past.

Yannick Ballif - Enez Bihan - Petite Ile - Small Island - Archipel Ebiens Hebiens - Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer - Bretagne - Cotes-d'Armor
$400

Enez Bihan

BALLIF, Yannick

Color aquatint, spitbite (?) and drypoint on wove paper.Printed to the sheet edge, as usual.Edition of 70.Published by Galerie Antarès, Paris, with...

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Henry Ziegler - Night Flight - aquatint burnisher mezzotint effect - early aviation Sold
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Night Flight

ZIEGLER, Henry

Aquatint, burnisher and drypoint on wove paper, c. 1925.Artist’s proof, aside from an unknown edition; if one was actually printed, which is doubtf...

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Richard Ranft - Profil de Nuit - Night Profile - woman looking into distance landscape - detail Sold
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Night Profile

RANFT, Richard

Profil de Nuit (descriptive French title) Etching and aquatint printed in brownish-black ink on tan wove paper, n.d.Edition unknown, but likely ver...

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Eugene Bejot - Notre-Dame de Paris de Nuit - At night - ephemera before letters - detail Sold
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Notre-Dame

BEJOT, Eugene

Aquatint printed in bluish-black ink on laid paper.Reference: BN-IFF 108. Unlikely edition of 50 in this state.  There were at least three states o...

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Michael Fairclough - Western Isle II - colo aquatint - detail Sold
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Western Isle II

FAIRCLOUGH, Michael

Color aquatint on wove paper, 1982.Edition of 100.Published by Georgetown Graphics Inc for the Print Collectors Club, Washington DC.Signed and numb...

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Karen Parker Meditation AP 1986 detail Sold
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Meditation

PARKER, Karen

Aquatint and etching printed in blue ink on wove paper.Edition unknown; ours one of 10 artist’s proofs.The border surrounding the composition is se...

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Charles Houdard - L'Etang - The Pond - quiet landscape color aquatint - detail Sold
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The Pond

HOUDARD, Charles

L’Etang (original French title) Color aquatint with touches of etching or drypoint on wove “SPECIAL MBM” paper.Reference: Bibliotheque Nationale - ...

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Raoul Du GARDIER - Bathers - Baigneuses - Color etching and aquatint - 1912 - detail Sold
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Bathers

DU GARDIER, Raoul

Baigneuses (original French title) Color etching and aquatint on laid Arches paper.Reference: listed as missing in BN-IFF. Edition of 50, but quite...

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