Vente aux enchères en direct 7958Modern & Contemporary Prints
Edgar Degas (1834-1917)
Lot 19

Edgar Degas (1834-1917)

Heads of a Woman and a Man (Janis 235; Adhémar and Cachin 47)

Fermé29 March 2011

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GBP 37,250

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Edgar Degas (1834-1917)
Heads of a Woman and a Man (Janis 235; Adhémar and Cachin 47)
monotype, circa 1877-80, on China paper, with wide margins, laid on the original card at the sheet corners verso, in good condition, framed
P. 72 x 82 mm., S. 145 x 123 mm.

The artist's studio, with his red oval stamp (L. 657); L. Delteil, Galerie Manzi-Joyant, Paris, 22-23 November 1918, Catalogue des Eaux-Fortes, Vernis-Mous, Aqua-tintes, Lithographies et Monotypes par Edgard Degas et provenant de son atelier... (commonly referred to as the Vente d'Estampes), lot 267 (as Un Monsieur et une Dame, épreuve et épreuve no. 2), sold with the cognate impression, now in the British Museum.
D. David-Weill; Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 25-26 May 1971, Collection D. David-Weill: Estampes de maîtres des XIXe et XXe siècles, lot 57.
With Galerie Paul Prouté, Paris.

Note du spécialiste

Now best known for writing the libretto to Carmen, in his day Ludovic Halévy (1834-1908) was famous as the author of short stories. His most successful story concerned the adventures of two young dancers at the Opéra, Virginie and Pauline Cardinal, their parents and admirers, all set in the risqué ambience of life backstage. The stories appeared throughout the 1870s and were published in a collected edition under the title La famille Cardinal in 1883.
It is thought that Degas initiated the project to illustrate the stories by way of monotypes reproduced in heliogravure. In the event the author was unimpressed with the results and the book only appeared thus illustrated long after both artist and author had died. Degas kept the original monotypes in his studio, from where they were subsequently sold in the fabled Vente d'Estampes in 1918.