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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.

Martin Levine - Madison and 50th - New York City - etching and aquatint
$450

Madison & 50th

LEVINE, Martin

Etching and aquatint printed on Hahnemühle Copperplate Bright White wove paper.Edition of 120, published by the Madison Print Club.There were a fur...

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Jacques Villon - Marcel Duchamp - Le Chef d'Oeuvre - Masterpiece - Mother holding daughter drawing - Belle Epoque Sold
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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...

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Charles Houdard - Charles Louis Marcel Houdard - Les Grenouilles - Frogs - dedicated to Henri Guerard - detail Sold
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Frogs

HOUDARD, Charles

Grenouilles (original French title) Color aquatint on chine paper, 1894.References: Stein and Karshan 36; Boyer and Cate 36.Artist’s proof aside fr...

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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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Yannick Ballif - Luz do Dia - Daylight - embossed print - color aquatint - drypoint - room with a view - window - detail
$400

Daylight

BALLIF, Yannick

Luz Do Dia (original Portugese title) Embossed color aquatint and drypoint on wove paper.Printed to the sheet edge, as usual.Edition of 70.Publishe...

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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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Emil Ganso - Model Standing - The Print Club of Cleveland - nude women from behind - hips Sold
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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. 

Kaiko Moti - Aiglon - Eaglet - eagle chick - aigle - color viscosity - atelier 17 - simultaneous color printing - detail Sold
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The Eaglet

MOTI, Kaiko

L’Aiglon (original French title) Simultaneous color printing aquatint on Arches wove paper, n.d.Edition of 120.Signed and numbered in pencil.

Allan Osterlind - Le Bapteme a Treboul - Baptism - Brittany Bretagne - tradition - color aquatint - detail
$750

The Baptism in Treboul

OSTERLIND, Allan

Le Baptême à Tréboul (original French title)  Color aquatint and etching on Arches wove paper.Edition unknown, but like most of the artist’s work s...

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Barbara Neustadt - Odysseus Perils - Aquatint soft ground etching abstract green - detail Sold
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Odysseus' Perils

NEUSTADT, Barbara

Aquatint and soft-ground etching printed in simultaneous color printing (color viscosity) on Arches wove paper.Proof impression, aside from the edi...

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David Smith-Harrison - Plum Tree III - etching and aquatint - architecture
$500

Plum Tree III

SMITH-HARRISON, David

Etching and aquatint printed in color on wove paper.Edition of 200.Signed, titled and numbered in pencil.

David Smith-Harrison - Royal Palm with Turkish Design - etching
$900

Royal Palm with Turkish Design

SMITH-HARRISON, David

Etching and aquatint printed in color on wove paper.Edition of 135.Signed, titled and numbered in pencil.