HARRIS SCHRANK FINE PRINTS » Francisco Goya

Todos Caeran (All Will Fall), Plate 19, Caprichos, First Edition

Harris Schrank — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:15:38 +0000

Francisco Goya (1746-1828) , Todos Caeran (All Will Fall), etching and burnished aquatint, 1799. Reference: Harris 54, Delteil 56. Plate 19 from the First Edition (of 12); the first edition size was approximately 300. The matrix in excellent condition, defects outside image (with the binding holes left, reinforced plate mark, repaired tears at bottom, right, top margin edges, fold top corner).The full sheet, 8 1/2 x 5 3/4, the sheet 11 3/4 x 8 inches.

A fine impression, printed in sepia ink on a fine quality, soft but strong laid paper. In this impression the fine grain aquatint contrasts vividly with the highlights on the bird woman standing in the tree, the upper part of the praying woman at the left, and the sky behind the figures at the right, as indicated by Harris as characteristics of the fine impressions of the First Edition; in the subsequent (posthumous) editions the aquatint softens and breaks up, and the fine burnishing effects in the bird upper left disappear.

This plate refers to the bird hunting practice common in Goya’s time, but still employed recently, of setting up a wired bird anti-decoy or frightener in a tree which hunters could get to flap its wings. Smaller birds would fly below it, and would dive and scatter when the decoy fluttered. These smaller birds would then be caught in netting or twigs set up by the hunters.

In Goya’s print the bird at the top of the tree is a decoy, and is attracted by other birds. Commentators have noted this bird’s resemblance to the Dutchess of Alba, and the bird just behind it to Goya’s own self portrait (now in the Met in NY). An early text (the Ayala text) notes “soldiers, commoners, and monks, fly around a lady who is half-hen; they all fall, and the women hold them down by the wings, make them throw up and pull out their guts.” This is what’s happening at the bottom of the composition: two women (identified as prostitutes) work on a captured male bird – the bird is already plucked by one while the other pushes a rod into the bird’s anus; an older woman at the left prays. This illustrates the common fate of all those deluded by love: all must fall.

Goya’s commentary on this print: And those who are about to fall will not take warning from the example of those who have fallen! But nothing can be done about it: all will fall.

Detail

Hilan Delgado (They Spin Finely), Plate 44, Los Caprichos, 1st Edition

Harris Schrank — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:32:10 +0000

Francisco Goya (1746-1828), Hilan Delgado, (They Spin Finely), etching, aquatint, drypoint and burin, 1799. References: Harris 79, Delteil 81. Plate 44 from Los Caprichos, First Edition (of 12), edition of approximately 300. In very good condition, with wide margins, 8 1/4 x 6, the sheet 11 5/8 x 8 inches.

A fine impression, printed in sepia ink, on a fine quality, soft but strong laid paper. The two layers of aquatint contrast effectively with the highlights on the spinner. The drypoint lines on the threads held by the spinner, and the gravure lines on her neck, can be seen clearly in this impression (along with touches of burr).

Goya’s commentary: They spin finely and the devil himself will not be able to undo the warp which they contrive.

Detail

Se Repulen – They Spruce Themselves Up – Caprichos 1st Edition

Harris Schrank — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:40:33 +0000

Francisco Goya (1746-1828), Se Repulen (They Spruce Themselves Up), etching, burnished aquatint and burin, 1799. References: Harris 86, Delteil 88. Plate 51, Los Caprichos, First Edition (of 12), edition size was approximately 300. In very good condition, with wide margins. Printed on fine quality, soft but strong laid paper, 8 3/8 x 6, the sheet 12 x 8 inches.

A fine impression, printed in sepia ink, with the 2 layers of aquatint contrasting well between each other and the white sky. The burnishing on the figures and the cloud to the right creates an effective half-tone. (These subtleties are lost in the later, posthumous, impressions from the eleven subsequent editions of Los Caprichos.)

This is one of the series of portrayals of witches in the Caprichos. Goya’s commentary: This business of having long nails is so pernicious that it is forbidden even in Witchcraft.

Detail

La Tauromaquia – First Edition Complete Set of 33 Etchings

Harris Schrank — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:39:57 +0000

Francisco de Goya Y Lucientes (1746-1828), La Tauromaquia, the complete set of 33 etchings with aquatint, drypoint and engraving, 1814-16. First Edition, with the explanatory text page, impressions printed in sepia ink on laid paper, one with watermark SERRA, nine with watermark MORATO. References: Delteil 224-263, Harris 204-243, 247 x 353mm, the sheets approx. 298 x 411 mm. Published in Madrid by the artist, with wide margins, in very good condition, some plates with unobtrusive printing creases, with black cloth-covered binding with artist’s name in gilt.

Fine impressions of this great rarity.

Provenance:

M. Murillo (19th C.), bookseller, Madrid (not in Lugt, with his label inside back cover)

Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (1847-1929), The Durdans, Epsom, Surrey (not in Lugt, his stamp on the front fly-leaf)

Philip Hofer (1898-1984), Curator, Houghton Library, Harvard University (not in Lugt, with his book plate inside front cover)

Much has been written about Goya’s intent in creating the Tauromaquia set (of course including many articles and books by Philip Hofer, a prior owner of this set). Goya was nearing 70 as he began the plates, and to a certain degree he recalls his youth in them – growing up he knew or at least had seen many of the great bullfighters, and later claimed to have done some bullfighting himself. He began the set with portraits of contempory bullfighting, and the great moments he personally recalled, but then added historical figures as well, going back to medieval times, and 16th Century figures, so the set became a sort of review – although certainly not an accurate history – of bullfighting through the years. Goya is unconcerned with the historical validity of the costuming or even the setting, and as he redid certain plates and worked from his original drawings, he simplified the compositions radically, so that only the most essential shapes and characters appear. Many commentators have identified the plates of the Tauromaquia set as forerunners of impressionism, and expressionism, which they surely are; we would also suggest their evolution also evokes the modernist temper of abstraction, for in these plates one can see Goya re-ordering a finite number of shapes in different ways, in each instance revealing a new and fascinating aesthetic form.

The First Edition of La Tauromaquia was published in very small numbers, both as a set and as single plates; the initial edition is thought to have been much smaller than that of the Caprichos (which was about 300). Long after Goya’s death the Calcographia produced additional editions, starting with a small one in 1855 (on wove), a Third in 1876 (on laid), up to a Seventh in 1937. The plates of La Tauromaquia deteriorated substantially after the First Edition, so it is only be viewing the prints of the lifetime First Edition that one can fully appreciate the splendid technical and aesthetic achievement that Goya’s Tauromaquia represents.

The Moors Made Another Pass at the Bull with their Cape

Harris Schrank — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:27:16 +0000

Francisco Goya (1746-1828), Los Moros Hacen Otho Capeo en Plaza con Su Albornoz (The Moors made another pass at the bull with their cape). Etching, burnished aquatint and drypoint. 1815-1816. Plate 6 from Tauromaquia. Reference: Harris 209, Delteil 229. First Edition (of 7). In very good condition, on laid paper with full margins, 310 x 440 mm (exactly the sheet size specified by Harris of the First Edition), 9 1/4 x 13 7/8, the sheet 12 1/4 x 17 1/2 inches, archival mounting.

A fine clear impression, printed in sepia ink As noted by Harris: This edition is the only one in which the full qualities of the plates can be appreciated. The impressions are extremely fine and are all clean-wiped. (Only the First Edition impressions are lifetime).

Goya etched the Moorish bullfighters wearing their traditional Marmeluke uniforms; he also thought that hey introduced the notion of enticing the bull with a cape (or albornoz).

Curarlos, y a otra (Get them well, and on to the next) – Disasters Proof

Harris Schrank — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:41:06 +0000

Francisco Goya (1746-1828), etching, lavis, burin and burnisher, 1810, Plate 20 from the Disasters of War. Harris 140 I/2 (of III/7). A working proof before letters and numbers [with signature and date lower left]. 6 1/8 x 9, the sheet 7 5/8 x 9 15/16 inches.

Provenance: Infante Don Sebastian de Borbon y Branganza; George Prevot (This is the proof referred to in Harris as Lima Private Coll. (ex Provot). Sold by Prevot in Paris, April 10, 1935, Hotel Drouot, in the sale of Prevot’s Goya collection, catalog number 49. );Private Swiss Collection

An extraordinarily fine proof impression.

One first state impression is known, and about nine other second state proofs have been accounted for; eight are in major institutions (Boston MFA, Madrid BN, New York MMA, Paris BN and BAA, Berlin KK).

In this state there was extensive etched re-working of the original design and filling in of the unworked areas in the right foreground; with the false biting burnished on the figures, with lavis which fails to print in some of the very clean wiped impressions. Although relatively clean wiped, lavis bordering can be seen quite clearly on this impression. No proof is known with the earlier 8 only, or with nos. 8 and 20.

The print quality is extraordinary, particularly when compared to that of the edition (the First Edition was printed posthumously, in 1863; six additional editions followed).

Detail

Bien te se está – It serves you right – Disasters of War Proof

Harris Schrank — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:21:09 +0000

Francisco de Goya (1746-1828), Bien te se está – It serves you right, etching with aquatint with touches of burin; on laid paper, circa 1808-1814, Harris 126 I.3 (of III.7). 14.1 x 20.4 cm; the sheet 20.8 x 29.7

A working proof impression for plate 6 of Los Desastres de la Guerra , with the earlier number 26 in the lower left corner, but before the additional burin work in the two known I.4 working proofs (Paris Gil and the Cean Bermudez Album impressions).

Harris lists one impression of state I.1 (Berlin) and one of state I.2 (Boston). Of the present state I.3, six impression are known, including this one that was formerly in the collection Georges Provôt in Paris

Provenance: Infante Don Sebastian de Borbón y Braganza
Georges Provôt, Paris
his sale, Hôtel Drouot, April 10, 1935, lot 37
private collection, Switzerland

Working (lifetime) proofs of the Disasters prints are of course of the utmost rarity; no edition was made during Goya’s lifetime – the First Edition of Los Desastres de la Guerra was published posthumously, in 1863, and seven editions were made in all.

Disasters of War, Complete Set of 80, First Edition

Harris Schrank — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:14:43 +0000

Francisco Goya (1746-1828), The Disasters of War, etchings and aquatint.

Made in the Workshop of Laurenciano Potenciano for the Real Academia; published in 1863. On heavy, absorbent wove paper, many sheets with the watermark JGO and a palmette. Reference: Harris 121-200, First Edition 1b, with letters as corrected, 247 x 340 mm, 9 1/2 x 13 1/4 inches, images approximately 5 1/2 x 8.

An extremely fine complete set in superb condition, with the dated title page and biographical introduction on paper with the El Arte en Espana watermark; in a gilt-lettered box, the binding threads carefully removed.

The sets of the First Edition varied in quality (the edition was limited to about 500); this is one of the finest sets we have encountered. Seven editions were made in all.

The images of war and famine in Goya’s Los Desastres de la Guerra are timeless in their depictions of man’s inhumanity to man.

Dos a Uno, Meten La Paja en el Culo (If Two to One Stuff Your Arse with Straw)

Harris Schrank — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:59:35 +0000

Francisco Goya (1746-1828), Dos a Uno, Meten La Paja en el Culo (If Two to One Stuff Your Arse with Straw), also titled Disparate Conocido (The Well-Known Folly), etching and burnished aquatint, c. 1816. Reference: Tomas Harris 266. A proof before letters, before the First Edition impressions made by Francois Lienard for L’Art, published in 1877. On a fine laid Japan paper, in very good condition, with margins, 9 3/4 x 13 1/2, the sheet 10 15/16 by 15 inches. Archival mounting (with mylar non-attached hinging, window mat.

Provenance: ex Collection: Tomas Harris, with his ink stamp lower margin right verso (visible recto, not in Lugt). (Harris was, of course, the well known collector, Goya scholar and author of, among other things, the definitive Goya catalogue raisonne.)

This is before First Edition impressions, in which the letters were added (they had the title “Que Guerrero”, and below “Quel Guerrier!”, with “Goya inv. et sc.” and “L’Art” to the left and “F. Lienard Imp. Paris” to the right).

A fine impression of this great rarity, printed in a dark brownish/black ink.

Only one contemporary proof is known, in Madrid. This is one of the trial proofs made before 1877, on very thin Japan, more lightly inked than the first edition (1877) impressions and, according to Tomas Harris, almost identical to the working proof. The edition impressions are generally well printed but lack the fine clarity and aquatint contrasts of this proof.

The man at the left is running from the two scarecrow figures, and holds his hand in mock terror as if intended to amuse the crowd of dark figures behind him.