Théodore Chassériau

Original Prints: Lithographs

Born on the island of Santo Domingo, Théodore Chassériau (1819 - 1856) arrived in Paris at the age of three, and soon became something of a meteor on the Parisian art scene: he entered Ingres's atelier at the age of 12, and the École des Beaux-Arts three years later. 

His precocious talent led him to exhibiting in the Salon de 1836, and, three years later, in the Salon de 1839, his renowned Vénus Anadyomène (considered to be one of his chefs d'œuvre), of which we show his lithograph here.

Chasseriau's printmaking was limited to 26 works, including a series of fine lithographs for Othello, but he died very young... as Théophile Gautier wrote in his funeral oration:

Chassériau est mort à 37 ans, comme Raphaël, dans la plénitude de la vie et du talent... Il savait et pouvait.
Parti d'Ingres, ayant traversé Delacroix comme pour colorer son dessin si pur, il était depuis longtemps lui-même un maître.

Vénus Anadyomène [Venus rising from the Sea] Beraldi 25 lithograph, a very fine impression, printed by Bertauts, on chine collé over medium-heavy ivory wove paper, with full margins This print is one of the artist's masterpieces in the genre, an elegant rendering his famous picture.