A Study of a Lion, original etching on vellum, 1915, signed artist's proof, limited edition
A Study of a Lionness, original etching on vellum, 1915, signed artist's proof, limited edition
The pair were purchased from the artist's family through Philips London Auctions in 1997.
Details of the series:
Measurements: 41.5 cm x 69.5 cm
Medium: Etching on vellum
Date: 1915
A Stunning Collection of Antiquarian Prints
An important single-owner collection of antiquarian prints from a London home. Part of a collection that has been carefully curated over 30 years, all prints are highly collectable and from limited edition series on or vellum. All are professionally framed and in superb condition.
I am offering a set of 6 Victor Adam Amazones prints, and two pairs and an individual by Herbert Dicksee. All are presently carefully stored and can be made accessible for viewing upon request, either in London or in Berkshire.
Set of Six Prints by Victor Adam, Amazones
A series of six coloured lithograph prints by the French painter and lithographer Victor Adam, depicting scenes of Amazonian women, the legendary female warriors, on horseback mid-tussle with various opponents from man to myth. Born in Paris in 1901, Adam studied at the École des Beaux-Arts, and then in the ateliers of Meynier and Régnault, contemporaries of Jacques-Louis David. He exhibited at the Salon for the first time in 1819 where he obtained a third medal, then another in 1824, and finally a second class medal in 1836. Later in life he dedicated himself to fully to the art of the lithograph, particularly those of an equestrian subject cementing his reputation as an expert in the genre, exhibiting them widely from 1838 to his death in 1867.
Combat a L'Arc
A half-naked woman on horseback, bow drawn, with a lion-skin blanket.
Defaite de L'Amazone
A half-naked woman is being pulled from her horse by a centaur. Her axe lies broken on the ground.
Chasse un Tigre
A half-naked woman on horseback, swinging an axe down on a tiger biting her horse's haunch. Her saddle cloth is a black panther's skin.
Camille, Reine des Amazones
A half-naked woman on horseback, with helmet, sword and tiger-skin blanket.
Victoire de L'Amazone
A half-naked woman on horseback, swinging an axe down on a centaur. Her saddle cloth is a tiger's skin.
Chasse Avec le Javelot
A half-naked woman on horseback, weilding a javelin in her right hand, in her left hand she holds two further weapons. Beneath her is a recently killed leopard. Her saddle cloth is a lion's skin.
All are signed 'V. Adam' with publisher's blindstamp.
Details of the series:
Measurements: 65 cm x 75 cm
Medium: Lithograph on paper
Date: 1851
Set of six prints: £3250
Prints by Herbert Dicksee
One of the greatest wildlife artists of his generation, the British arist Herbert Dicksee (1862-1942) became an expert in the observation of the character and behaviour of his animal subjects. In particular of the power and majesty of lions, tigers and other big cats. He was one of the first generations to create such images in such a realistic and awe-inspiring style, working in an era well before the invention of the camera zoom lens.
Dicksee attended the Slade School of Fine Art, London, still a young school at the time having only been opened in 1871, where he studied under Alphonse Legros, another distinguished etcher. He obtained several Salon medals over his long career.
Engraver's proofs of his finest work have been in the archives of the British Museum since 1934.
After passing away in 1942 in Hampstead he left his daughter clear instructions to destroy the majority of his plates used for etching, making the works that survive all the more highly sort after as many can no longer be reproduced