Filters

color

era

exhibition

format

location

nationality

printer

publisher

sale

scale

scape

style

subject

technique

weather

year

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.

The Beautiful Impression Sold
View Details

The Beautiful Impression

ROBBE, Manuel

La Belle Epreuve (original French title) Printed on wove paper.Reference: Merill-Chase.Edition of 100.

Bernard Boutet de Monvel - La Patineuse - female fashion ice skater - color aquatint and soft-ground etching
$1,500

The Skater

BOUTET DE MONVEL, Bernard

La Patineuse (original French title) Color aquatint and soft-ground etching printed in color on thick wove paper. References: neither in the BN-IFF...

View full details
Richard Ranft color aquatint Sold
View Details

At the Ball

RANFT, Richard

Au Bal  (original French title) Color aquatint on wove paper.Small edition of color variants, rare.Signed and numbered in pencil. We have had this ...

View full details
Jacques Villon - Marcel Duchamp - Le Chef d'Oeuvre - Masterpiece - Mother holding daughter drawing - Belle Epoque Sold
View Details

The Masterpiece

VILLON, Jacques

Le Chef d’Oeuvre (original French title) Drypoint, aquatint and roulette printed in four colors, à la poupée (yet from two registered plates) on wo...

View full details
Emil Ganso - Model Standing - The Print Club of Cleveland - nude women from behind - hips Sold
View Details

Model Standing

GANSO, Emil

Etching and aquatint on wove paper, 1935.Reference: Smith I-8c.Edition of 250, as issued by The Print Club of Cleveland.Signed in pencil. 

Emile Dezaunay - La Messe en Bretagne - Bretton coiffe - color intaglio - detail Sold
View Details

Mass in Brittany

DEZAUNAY, Emile-Alfred

La Messe en Bretagne (descriptive French title) Aquatint, etching, roulette & drypoint printed in color on Arches laid paper, circa 1900.Refere...

View full details
Ann Chernow - Mood Indigo - Etching - woman at night at table with lamp - detail
$300

Mood Indigo

CHERNOW, Ann

Aquatint and etching printed in dark bluish-black ink on wove paper. Edition of 12. Signed, titled, and numbered in pencil. 

Jacques Villon, Le Femme au Piano, d’après Marcel Gromaire (original French title) Color etching and aquatint on thick wove paper, 1928-29. Sold
View Details

Woman at the Piano

VILLON, Jacques

 Le Femme au Piano, d’après Marcel Gromaire (original French title) Color etching and aquatint on thick wove paper.References: Ginestet & Pouil...

View full details
Louis Legrand - Au Bal (original French title) At the Ball - Aquatint , 1911, Paris.
$950

At the Ball

LEGRAND, Louis

Au Bal (original French title) Aquatint on Pellet et Legrand wove paper.Reference:  Exsteens 317 ; Arwas 431. Edition of 70. Published by Gustave P...

View full details
Edgar Chahine - Vieille Femme - drypoint - downtrodden - vie lamentable - detail Sold
View Details

Old Woman

CHAHINE, Edgar

Vieille Femme (original French title)Drypoint, etching, and aquatint on laid paper.Reference: Tabanelli 43. From the total edition of 40 in the sec...

View full details
Dream of Worship
$700

Dream of Worship

VON ESSEN, Hein

Droom der Aanbidden (original Dutch title) Etching and aquatint printed on thick tan wove paper.Two states, one without the background of the sun’s...

View full details