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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.

Henry Chapront - Seigneur prenez pitie - Huysmans - La-Bas - detail
$400

Lord Have mercy

CHAPRONT, Henry

Seigneur Prenez Pitié… (original French title) Aquatint printed in blue and warm-gray inks on wove BFK Rives paper, circa 1918. This plate was poss...

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Henry Chapront - L'Alsace 1st State - detail
$400

The Alsace

CHAPRONT, Henry

L’Alsace… (original French title) Aquatint printed in blue ink, with a touch of red in the cockade on simili-Japan paper, April 1916. One of 8 impr...

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Yasuyuki KIHARA - Displacement - Déplacement - Aquatint printed black ink - 1975 - detail
$500

Displacement

KIHARA, Yasuyuki

Déplacement (original French title) Aquatint printed black ink on BFK Rives wove paper, with a silver background tint, 1975. Edition of 100. Publis...

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