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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.

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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Edgar Chahine - Vieille Femme - drypoint - downtrodden - vie lamentable - detail Sold
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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...

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J Jay McVicker - Tropical Washday - Aquatint and etching on wove paper - 1946.
$750

Tropical Washday

McVICKER, J. Jay

Aquatint and etching on wove paper. Edition of 100.  Signed in pencil.

Charles MAURIN - Luxembourg Gardens - Le Jardin du Luxembourg - Color etching and aquatint on laid paper – 1900 - detail Sold
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Luxembourg Gardens

MAURIN, Charles

Jardin du Luxembourg (original French title) Color etching and aquatint on laid paper. Ref: Goldschmidt 25.  Edition of 50.  Published by Charles H...

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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...

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Edmond Rigal - Caryatid - Engraving and aquatint Sold
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Caryatid

RIGAL, Edmond

Engraving and aquatint in bluish-black ink on tan wove paper.   Edition of 50.  Signed and numbered in pencil. 

Maurice LANGASKENS - Un Conte de Noël - A Christmas Tale - Color etching and aquatint detail Sold
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A Christmas Tale

LANGASKENS, Maurice

Un Conte de Noël (original French title) Color etching and aquatint on wove paper, no date. An artist’s proof. Edition unknown. Cautiously a man le...

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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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FELIX BUHOT L Hiver a Paris - La Neige a Paris - Winter in Paris - detail Sold
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Winter in Paris

BUHOT, Felix

L’Hiver à Paris or La Neige à Paris (original French titles) Etching, aquatint, scraper, and drypoint on laid paper.Reference: Bourcard & Goodf...

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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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