"La Grand Mere"

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(1904)

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"La Grand Mere (L' Aieule)", 1904, color etching and aquatint inked a la poupee on vellum  (a fine grade of parchment made from the skin of a calf); 22 1/2" x 18 1/2", with full margins. One of only 4 impressions on vellum. Signed in pencil, lower center.  Rippling inherent to the vellum.  Inscribed, "tire a 4 epreuves sur parchemin, No. 1, GP" by the publisher, Gustave Pellet, in ink, lower right. With the publisher's red ink stamp (Lugt 1193, lower right recto).  A very good impression of this scarce and rare print [Exsteens 180].

Louis Legrand (1863-1951) was at the center of the La Belle Époque as the 19th century came to its conclusion. It was a time of enormous creativity; Paris was at the center of the art world and Legrand was counted among its elite and greatest artistic celebrities, along with Toulouse Lautrec, Manuel Robbe and Jules Cheret.  After studying with Felicien Rops, Legrand achieved great acclaim (1891) when his watercolors of music-hall dancers (can can) appeared in Gil Blas illustre. A year later, they were published in a suite of etchings; 'Cours de danse Fin-de-siecle'. In 1893, publisher Gustave Pellet published 'Les Petits du Ballet' and Legrand's fame spread throughout Europe. His drypoints of the ballet elevated him to one of the world's foremost drypoint artists.

Legrand achieved broad recognition during his lifetime, but after World War I, changing cultural and societal values, joined with Legrand's inactivity, led to the diminishment of his art and time has faded our memory of Legrand.  Now, as we proceed into the 21st century, our interest has come to be refocused on the late 19th century artists (and their creations), one of which the greatest was Louis Legrand.

This Louis Legrand etching and aquatint is in a 34 1/8" x 38 15/16" French styled swan back frame with abstract leaf patterns finished in silver over umber and red tones that buffer through the gold wash. The outer seurat sand linen, maliacca beveled accent, hand color apricot rag and inner heather brown mats are acid and lignin free and are protected with Acrylite-AR OP3 (UV) by CYRO ...$2,500.00