Camille Pissarro

Paysannes dans un Champ de Haricots Delteil 103, Leymarie & Melot 101 etching, 1891, on medium-fine cream laid paper (with part of a "Glaslan" watermark), a very fine proof impression of the only known state*, with full margins, some slight staining from an old mount, traces of glue at the upper corners on the reverse, otherwise in very good condition P. 248x151mm., S. 316x242mm.

Pissarro's fondness of the simple folk in the countryside ran throughout his entire career in printmaking, and this fine etching captures the gestures of everyday life in a plain yet forceful composition.

It is curious to note that (as witnessed only by a few sketchy details) he apparently cropped the composition quite early on with a marked borderline, yet never cut down the plate, leaving a wide margin of bitten tone framing it. Given the presence of registration marks above and below, it seems possible that he intended to develop a colour version of this print. If so, this project never came to fruition, his first colour etchings dating to 1894.

* According to Delteil, there were pulled only 14 contemporary impressions of this print, and an additional 18 impressions for the posthumous edition, all stamped and numbered. The present impression, unstamped and unnumbered, is apparently a proof prior to this quite small edition.