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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.

Bernard Boutet de Monvel - La Vieille - detail
$950

The Old Woman

BOUTET DE MONVEL, Bernard

La Vieille (original French titles) Color aquatint and soft-ground etching on thick wove paper.Ref: BN-IFF 4-5; not in Addade.Edition of 50, quite ...

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Henri Delavallee - Angelique à Sa Porte - Angelique at Her Door - edition - detail
$800

Angelique at Her Door

DELAVALLEE, Henri

Angélique à Sa Porte (original French title) Soft-ground etching, etching, and aquatint on laid paper. Reference: Morane 15.We present two states o...

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Jean-Francois Raffaelli - Le Grand Prix de Paris - detail
$1,400

The Paris Grand Prix

RAFFAELLI, Jean-Francois

Le Grand-Prix de Paris (original French title) Color etching, aquatint, and drypoint printed on simili-japon paper, 1906.Ref: Delteil 74.Edition of...

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