The Cliff at St-Malo Bay
La Falaise - Baie de Saint-Malo
Etching, drypoint, aquatint, roulette, printed in two tones on two sheets of paper, combined to make one composition, 1886-1890.
Reference: Bourcard & Goodfriend 165.
Both the central composition and the symphonic margins are in the final state. The central composition is printed on laid "papier verdâtre", a French type of bluish-green paper particularly appreciated by 19th century artists, but still used by artists such as Joseph Hecht and Jean-Emile Laboureur in the 20th century, when they could source it. Bourcard mentions that a few such impressions were pulled on "old green Hollande paper similar to the one that Meryon liked, which we (i.e. Gustave Bourcard, the author) had found in Nantes and given to the artist".
The margins are printed in pale blue-gray ink on thick wove paper, which looks almost pink in contrast to the ink (but isn't). Bourcard mentions "a few impressions with the margins in bistre (i.e. brownish-black made of soot). It seems even he didn't know of Buhot's use of this color use for the margins.
The two sheets are joined, with the main composition affixed to the top sheet, which has been cut out to only show the margins, and create a window for the main composition. Both sheets are signed with the large red owl stamp (Lugt 977).
The top sheet is annotated in pencil by the artist, in the lower left sheet corner: "Epreuve sur papier azure. la seule harmonie de ce genre que j'ai pu obtenir avec le jeu du bistre dans les marges".
The bottom sheet is also annotated in pencil by the artist, with comments about the printing, and about further changes the artist wishes to make, along with some quick cloud sketches: "très bon - le trait un peu plus gros - retroussé naturellement".
Provenance: Johannes Hendricus de Bois, early 20th century Haarlem (Netherlands) print dealer, with his monogram stamp on both sheets (Lugt 733).
This kind of assembled impression is known not to be unique. It is however exceedingly scarce and the overall effect should be regarded as one of the high points of Buhot's tonal output.
