Unknown artist – Ladies of the court at a banquet, intaglio print, c. 1900–1910

Print of court ladies at a feast – intaglio on hand-made paper, c. 1900–1910

An atmospheric antique print from around 1900: a company of ladies in costume around a laid table, with flower wreaths and small crowns in their hair. One woman wears a black royal cloak with ermine, another raises her glass, and someone is already lying under the table laughing – a costume party or theatre feast in a Belle Époque mood. The lines have a grainy, chalk-like tone, combined with deep black areas; the plate mark is pressed into the paper around the image. It is an intaglio print: an etching (soft-ground) or a photogravure after a drawing. Printed on heavy hand-made paper with deckle edges.

Why we chose this piece

What attracted us is the loose, almost sketched hand: faces and hairstyles are set down with a few quick lines, while the ermine cloak carries the composition as a graphic black block. It is a print with humour and movement, and with its generous margins and beautiful old paper it has exactly the look of an artist’s print from around 1900.

Style and interior

This print suits a classic or eclectic interior, a library or study, or works as an eye-catcher in a wall of collected prints. A simple black or wooden frame with a wide mount shows the black-and-white drawing at its best.

Dimensions: to follow shortly
Artist: unknown artist
Technique: intaglio (etching, soft-ground, or photogravure) on hand-made paper with plate mark and deckle edges
Signature: not signed in the plate; in the lower margin a faded, largely illegible pencil inscription (photos 5–7) and the number ‘305’ in pencil at lower right (photo 8)
Period: c. 1900–1910
Origin: Western Europe
Quantity: 1
Condition: good unframed condition for its age. The impression itself is strong and free of tears within the image. The paper is lightly toned and has scattered small foxing spots, mainly in the lower margin (photo 8). The upper right corner is somewhat worn and thin, there is a small marginal tear at the left edge and a small brown spot at the lower edge (photo 7). On the reverse the image has come through the paper as a brownish shadow (photo 9); this is hardly noticeable from the front.

Price:
€ 75

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