Felix Buhot (1847-1898), Westminster Palace, etching, drypoint, roulette, 1884, signed in pencil and extensively annotated. Bourcard/Goodfriend 155, Bourcard’s third state (of 5); Goodfriend’s fourth state (of 7). In very good condition (minor thinning in spots verso), printed on a heavy cream/greenish wove paper with margins; 11 1/2 x 15 1/4, the sheet 13 1/2 x 17 1/4 inches.

Provenance: Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Flower

A fine impression, printed in a brownish/black ink with plate tone.

The extensive pencil annotation by Buhot includes: upper left margin, the words “Le Palais de Westminster;” upper center Buhot has drawn in pencil his owl, similar to his red stamp (Lugt 977); upper right several indistinguishable words ending with the word “Londres”; bottom left “Tire a 25 epreuves”; bottom center “ep. no. 10 – FB”, bottom center just below the last note: another drawing of a small owl; bottom right “epreuve d’artiste” and then signed in full.

This state is before Buhot reduced the plate slightly, extensively re-worked the plate by adding shadowing and blackening figures,  and added the words “Westminster Palace London” to the print.

Westminster Palace is of course one of Buhot’s most complex and successful compositions.

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Felix Buhot (1847-1898),  L’Hiver a Paris ou La Neige a Paris, 1879,  etching, aquatint, drypoint, roulette. [signed and dated in the plate Felix Buhot Paris 1879].  Reference: Bourcard/Goodfriend 5th state (of 9). In excellent condition, on a cream laid Van Gelder Zonen paper (with the watermark), the full sheet, 9 3/8 x 13 5/8, the sheet 14 7/8 x 19 1/4 inches.

A fine impression; a published state before additional work was done primarily involving the dogs in the foreground.

Bourcard’s description of the states for this print are clarified by Goodfriend, who describes 9 states (Bourcard had only 5). Goodfriend notes that in the fourth state the aquatint in the lower skating scene and elsewhere is solid, but in the fifth state it is streaked; it is streaked in this impression. In addition the shading lines in the buildings at the top are extended beyond the borderline in this state.

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Felix Buhot (1847-1898) Les Grandes Chaumieres, 1881, etching and drypoint, Bourcard/Goodfriend 150 (their fifth, and definitive, state of five, the plate was then cancelled), with Buhot’s red owl stamp (Lugt 977). Good condition, with margins (several nicks or tiny tears at outer margin edges, some spots in margins), plate mark reinforced verso, conservation matted, 5 1/2 x 10 7/8 (full sheet 7 1/2 x 12 1/4) inches.

A fine, atmospheric impression, with substantial burr from the drypoint work.

In this unique proof impression Buhot – one of the most inventive of printmakers – treated the paper with kerosene, gasoline or turpentine before printing (papier essencee), creating a striking “orange” quality which has the magical effect of bathing this farm scene in the subdued light of a sunset.