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19th Century American Prints, Etchings & Lithographs

When Dutch painter/etcher Rembrandt died in 1669, etching and drypoint techniques gradually diminished and, with few exceptions, etchings were strictly reproductive or illustrative works, not original pieces. In the middle 1800s, however, an etching revival began in France. Maxime Lalanne wrote a popular etching textbook in 1866. This book, "A Treatise on Etching," was later translated into English and published in the U.S. in 1880. This book was greatly responsible for the American Etching Revival and for the proliferation of 19th century American etchings. This corresponded to the British Etching Revival, and many American artists studied and worked in Great Britian and on the Continent, with London, Paris and Venice providing rich subject matter for many American etchings.

Another important factor which led to the American etching movement was the founding of the New York Etching Club in 1877. In the centuries before, etchings were primarily used for producing reproductions of paintings, but now 19th century American etching artists were using this medium to produce beautiful, original artworks. Antique art prints from 19th Century American artists featured here include lithographs and etchings executed by Whistler, Hassam, Cassatt, Weir, Moran, and Homer.

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Winslow Homer etching "The Lookout -- All's Well" Winslow Homer etching "The Lookout -- All's Well"

Medium: etching (etched by William Bicknell after Winslow Homer's 1896 painting). Although there is no inscription, it is presumed to have been published in 1906 by the John A. Lowell Bank Note Co., Boston, and issued for the Hamburg-American Line (there is a vignette of one of their passenger steamships in the margin at the bottom left). Image size: 23 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches (595 x 443mm) printed on heavy wove paper. Signed in the plate (not by hand).

Condition: The margins have been somewhat trimmed (not affecting the etching but slightly cropping the steamship vignette along the bottom edge). There is small skinned spot at the top right corner of the composition, and a pink erasure mark in the margin at the bottom right with skinning to the surface of the paper. A rich, dark impression of this magnificent etching. A lucky find!

$1,000.00
James Whistler original lithograph The Smith's Yard James Whistler original lithograph "The Smith's Yard"

Medium: original lithograph. Catalogue reference: Way 88. Printed in 1897 and published in London for The Studio. Sheet size: 11 x 7 3/4 inches (282 x 197 mm). This impression on cream wove paper is embossed with The Studio dry stamp in the margin. Signed in the plate with Whistler's butterfly monogram signature (not hand-signed).

$500.00
Thomas Moran original etching "Twilight in Arizona" Thomas Moran original etching "Twilight in Arizona"

Medium: original etching. Catalogue reference: Klackner 27. This is a rich, dark impression on wove paper, printed in 1885 for the Sylvester R. Koehler portfolio of etchings and published by Cassell & Company. Plate size: 5 7/8 x 8 3/4 inches (152 x 225 mm). Signed in the plate with Thomas Moran's monogram (not by hand).

$500.00
Otto Henry Bacher original etching View in Venice Otto Henry Bacher original etching "Laguna Veneta" Venice

Medium: original etching. This impression on wove paper was printed in 1885 for the Sylvester R. Koehler portfolio of etchings and published by Cassell & Company. Plate size: 4 1/2 x 7 1/4 inches (117 x 182 mm). Signed in the plate, not by hand.

Condition: there is soiling in the margins and an old library stamp on verso.

$350.00
Peter Moran original etching Burro Train New Mexico Peter Moran original etching "A Burro Train, New Mexico"

Medium: original etching. Catalogue reference: White 1. This impression on laid paper was printed in 1880 for The American Art Review. The plate measures 6 1/2 x 9 3/8 inches; the sheet size is 9 x 12 inches. Signed in the plate by Peter Moran (not by hand).

$350.00
Peter Moran "Church of San Miguel, Santa Fe, New Mexico" original etching Peter Moran "Church of San Miguel, Santa Fe, New Mexico" original etching

Medium: original etching. This impression on wove paper was printed in 1885 for the Sylvester R. Koehler portfolio of etchings and published by Cassell & Company. Plate size: 5 x 6 3/4 inches (125 x 173 mm). Signed in the plate, not by hand.

Condition: there is soiling in the margins and an old library stamp on verso.

$350.00
William Merritt Chase "Keying Up - The Court Jester" original etching William Merritt Chase "Keying Up - The Court Jester" original etching

Medium: original etching. This impression on laid paper was published by the American Art Review in 1880. The etched image measures 5 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches; the plate measures 6 3/4 x 4 1/2 inches. Signed in the plate, not hand-signed.

The artist executed an earlier painting of the same composition; the painting is lighter and more whimsical, with the jester wearing a red suit and an impish grin as he pours himself a drink before performing ("keying up"). The etching is done in the reverse direction and has a darker, moodier quality. The Court Jester is considered to be William Merritt Chase's most important etching.

$300.00
Joseph Foxcroft Cole original etching Three Cows Joseph Foxcroft Cole original etching "The Three Cows"

Medium: original etching. Executed in 1883; this is a rich, dark impression on heavy cream wove paper, from the "Original Etchings by American Artists" portfolio, published in 1883 by Cassell and Company. The plate size is 8 3/4 x 11 3/4 inches. In fine condition with full original margins. Signed in the plate (not hand-signed).

$300.00
Donald Shaw MacLaughlan original etching "La ruelle du pecheur" Donald Shaw MacLaughlan original etching "La ruelle du pecheur"

Medium: original etching. Catalogue reference: Sanchez and Seydoux 1903-11. This delightful etching was published in Paris in 1903 by Gazette des Beaux-Arts. The plate measures 8 5/8 x 6 inches (220 x 150 mm). A very nice impression printed on laid paper. Signed in the plate, not hand-signed.

$300.00
Thomas Waterman Wood "His Own Doctor" original etching Thomas Waterman Wood "His Own Doctor" original etching

Medium: original etching. Printed in 1883 for a deluxe portfolio of American etchings, this is a fine, dark impression on wove paper. Plate size: 11 1/2 X 7 5/8 inches. Sheet size: 18 x 13 1/2 inches. Signed in the plate (not by hand).

$300.00
James Whistler lithograph "The Purple Cap" 1905 James Whistler lithograph "The Purple Cap" 1905

Medium: lithograph (after the pastel). The lithography was executed by Whistler's friend and fellow artist Thomas Way, and published in London by The Studio in 1905 for a rare deluxe portfolio. Printed on smooth wove paper, the lithograph measures 10 1/8 x 6 1/4 inches (256 x 160 mm). The lithograph is presented as originally published: mounted along the top edge onto a brown backing sheet, which is itself mounted onto a stiff antique paperboard. Signed in the plate (not by hand).

$300.00
Stephen Parrish original etching Hastings Stephen Parrish original etching "Hastings"

Medium: original etching. Catalogue reference: Schneider 113. Executed in 1885; this is a fine, dark impression with full original margins on watermarked laid paper from "The Portfolio" edition, published in London by Seeley, Jackson & Halliday and edited by 19th Century artist and art critic Phillip Gilbert Hamerton. The plate measures 5 1/2 x 10 3/8 inches (138 x 264 mm). Signed in the plate (not hand-signed).

$250.00
Robert Frederick Blum original etching "An Italian Macaroni" Robert Frederick Blum original etching "An Italian Macaroni"

Medium: original etching. The full title is "An Italian Macaroni of the Eighteenth Century". A nice impression in reddish-brown ink on cream laid paper, published in 1887 by Frederick Stokes. Size: 11 3/4 x 8 7/8 inches (plate) with full margins. Signed in the plate, not hand-signed.

Condition: There are two tears in the margin (one extending just to the platemark).

$250.00
Maurice Sterne "Coney Island" original etching Maurice Sterne "Coney Island" original etching

Medium: original etching and aquatint. Catalogue reference: Sanchez and Seydoux 1904-19. Printed in Paris on laid paper and published in 1904 by Gazette des Beaux Arts. Plate size: 3 1/2 x 6 5/8 inches (88 x 163 mm). Not signed.

$250.00
James Whistler lithograph "The Old Marble Hall, Venice" 1905 James Whistler lithograph "The Old Marble Hall, Venice" 1905

Medium: lithograph (after the pastel). The lithography was executed by Whistler's friend and fellow artist Thomas Way, and published in London by The Studio in 1905 for a rare deluxe portfolio. Printed on smooth wove paper, the lithograph measures 9 1/4 x 4 3/4 inches (235 x 122 mm). The lithograph is presented as originally published: mounted along the top edge onto a brown backing sheet, which is itself mounted onto a stiff antique paperboard. Signed in the plate, not hand-signed.

$250.00
James Whistler lithograph "Bead-Stringers, Venice" 1905 James Whistler lithograph "Bead-Stringers, Venice" 1905

Medium: lithograph (after the pastel). The lithography was executed by Whistler's friend and fellow artist Thomas Way, and published in London by The Studio in 1905 for a rare deluxe portfolio. Printed on smooth wove paper, the lithograph measures 9 1/4 x 4 1/4 inches (234 x 105 mm). The lithograph is presented as originally published: mounted along the top edge onto a brown backing sheet, which is itself mounted onto a stiff antique paperboard. Signed in the plate (not by hand).

$250.00
James Whistler lithograph "A Venetian Canal" 1905 James Whistler lithograph "A Venetian Canal" 1905

Medium: lithograph (after the pastel). The lithography was executed by Whistler's friend and fellow artist Thomas Way, and published in London by The Studio in 1905 for a rare deluxe portfolio. Printed on smooth wove paper, the lithograph measures 8 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches (222 x 138 mm). The lithograph is presented as originally published: mounted along the top edge onto a brown backing sheet, which is itself mounted onto a stiff antique paperboard. Not signed.

$250.00
Alexandre Charpentier embossed engraving Alexandre Charpentier embossed engraving

Medium: embossed engraving. Printed in 1897 and published in London for The Studio. Image size: 5 x 3 3/8 inches (130 x 85 mm). Sheet size: 11 x 7 5/8 inches (282 x 193 mm). This impression on cream wove paper is embossed with The Studio dry stamp in the margin. Signed in the plate (not hand-signed).

$200.00
James Whistler lithograph "The Blue Girl" James Whistler lithograph "The Blue Girl" 1905

Medium: lithograph (after the pastel). The lithography was executed by Whistler's friend and fellow artist Thomas Way, and published in London by The Studio in 1905 for a rare deluxe portfolio. Printed on smooth wove paper, the lithograph measures 8 3/4 x 5 1/4 inches (222 x 134 mm). The lithograph is presented as originally published: mounted along the top edge onto a brown backing sheet, which is itself mounted onto a stiff antique paperboard. Not signed.

$200.00
Charles Platt original etching Mont Cenis, Montmartre Charles Platt original etching "Rue du Mont Cenis, Montmartre"

Medium: original etching. This impression on wove paper was printed in 1885 for the Sylvester R. Koehler portfolio of etchings and published by Cassell & Company. Plate size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches (138 x 212 mm). Signed in the plate, not by hand.

Condition: there is soiling in the margins and an old library stamp on verso.

$200.00
Henry Farrer original etching Sweet is the Hour of Rest Henry Farrer original etching "Sweet is the Hour of Rest"

Medium: original etching. This is a rich, dark impression on wove paper, printed in 1885 for the Sylvester R. Koehler portfolio of etchings and published by Cassell & Company. Image size: 7 x 11 1/4 inches (177 x 283 mm). Plate size: 7 3/4 x 11 1/2 inches (202 x 294 mm). Not signed.

$200.00
Mauritz Frederik Hendrik De Haas original etching Mauritz Frederik Hendrik De Haas original etching "Fishing Boats on the Beach at Scheveningen"

Medium: original etching. Executed in 1883; this is a rich, dark impression on heavy cream wove paper, from the "Original Etchings by American Artists" portfolio, published in 1883 by Cassell and Company. The plate size is 6 1/4 x 8 5/8 inches. In good condition with full original margins. Signed in the plate (not hand-signed).

$200.00
Charles Saint-Memin engraving Charles Saint-Memin engraving

Medium: original physiognotrace engraving. This is one of the delightful engravings executed by French artist Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Memin, who was famous for his portraits of important Americans of the of the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. Saint Memin pioneered a technique called Physiognotrace (or Physionotrace) Engraving which produced remarkably lifelike portraits before the advent of photography. Plate size: 2 3/4 x 2 5/8 inches (70 x 68 mm). Sheet size: 10 x 7 inches (253 x 177 mm). Printed on cream wove paper; the date of printing of this impression is not known. The inscription reads "Drawn & engraved by St. Memin Philadelphia". Not signed.

$200.00
Charles Saint-Memin engraving Joseph Parker 1799 Charles Saint-Memin engraving "Joseph Parker"

Medium: original physiognotrace engraving, 1799. This is one of the delightful engravings executed by French artist Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Memin, who was famous for his portraits of important Americans of the of the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. Saint Memin pioneered a technique called Physiognotrace (or Physionotrace) Engraving which produced remarkably lifelike portraits before the advent of photography. Plate size: 2 3/4 x 2 5/8 inches (70 x 68 mm). Sheet size: 9 3/4 x 7 inches (250 x 177 mm). The inscription reads "Drawn by Valdenuit & engraved by St. Memin New York". Printed on cream wove paper; the date of printing of this impression is not known. Not signed.

Condition: A previous owner's annotation at the bottom of the sheet identifies the subject of this portrait.

$200.00
Charles Saint-Memin engraving William Edward 1802 Charles Saint-Memin engraving "William Edward"

Medium: original physiognotrace engraving, 1802. This is one of the delightful engravings executed by French artist Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Memin, who was famous for his portraits of important Americans of the of the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. Saint Memin pioneered a technique called Physiognotrace (or Physionotrace) Engraving which produced remarkably lifelike portraits before the advent of photography. Plate size: 2 3/4 x 2 5/8 inches (70 x 68 mm). Sheet size: 9 3/4 x 7 inches (250 x 177 mm). The inscription reads "Drawn & engraved by St. Memin Philadelphia". Printed on cream wove paper; the date of printing of this impression is not known. Not signed.

Condition: there is an old water stain in the margin, not affecting the image. A previous owner's annotation at the bottom of the sheet identifies the subject of this portrait.

$200.00
Frank Milton Armington original etching "Une rue a Nuremberg" Frank Milton Armington original etching "Une rue a Nuremberg"

Medium: original etching. Catalogue reference: Sanchez and Seydoux 1912-10. Published in Paris in 1912 for Gazette des Beaux-Arts. This is a fine impression printed in sepia ink on cream wove paper. Plate size: 9 3/8 x 5 1/8 inches (237 x 130 mm). Not signed.

$200.00
Joseph Pennell original etching "The Pavement, St. Paul's" Joseph Pennell original etching "The Pavement, St. Paul's"

Medium: original etching. Printed in 1910 by K. K. Hof and the Staatsdruckerei of Vienna. Plate size: 8 1/2 x 11 inches (225 x 280mm). Sheet size: 11 x 15 1/2 inches. A nice, dark impression with plate tone and full original margins. Not signed.

Condition: there is soiling in the margin, not affecting the etched image.

$200.00
Joseph Pennell original lithograph Zaandam, No. 1 Joseph Pennell original lithograph "Zaandam, No. 1"

Medium: original lithograph. The catalogue reference is Wuerth 66. Published in Vienna by Gesellschaft für Vervielfältigende Kunst in 1910. The image measures 8 x 11 1/2 inches (210 x 290 mm) and the total sheet is 11 x 15 1/2 inches. This impression is printed on laid paper and has full original margins. Signed in the plate (not hand-signed).

$175.00
Otto Henry Bacher original etching Auf Staufa Bruck Otto Henry Bacher original etching "Auf Staufa Bruck"

Medium: original etching. Executed in 1879, this is one of the "Danube Set" of Otto Bacher's German compositions from his travels in Bavaria. Printed in 1880 on laid paper and published by The American Art Review. The image measures 2 3/4 x 8 1/8 inches (72 x 207 mm). Signed in the plate (not by hand).

$175.00
Otto Henry Bacher original etching "Schwabelweiss" Otto Henry Bacher original etching "Schwabelweiss"

Medium: original etching. Executed in 1879, this is one of the "Danube Set" of Otto Bacher's German compositions from his travels in Bavaria. Printed on laid paper and published in Boston in 1880 by Estes & Lauriat. The plate measures 3 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches (86 x 215 mm). Signed in the plate (not by hand).

Condition: there is age-toning to the paper and the margins have been trimmed.

$175.00
Alfred Brunet-Debaines original etching Alfred Brunet-Debaines original etching "On the Seine near Rouen"

Medium: original etching. This impression on laid paper was printed in 1882 for the "A Group of Etchers" portfolio and published in New York. Plate size: 6 3/4 x 8 3/4 inches (170 x 230 mm). Signed in the plate, not by hand.

$150.00
Edith Loring Getchell etching Old South Church Edith Loring Getchell original etching "Old South Church"

Medium: original etching. Printed in 1888 and published by The New York Etching Club. Image size: 5 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches (145 x 90 mm). Signed in the plate, not hand-signed.

Condition: there is age-toning and discoloration to the paper.

$150.00
Donald Shaw MacLaughlan original etching Rue du Chasseur, Rouen Donald Shaw MacLaughlan original etching "Rue du Chasseur, Rouen"

Medium: original etching. This impression on laid paper was printed in 1903 and published in Paris by the Revue de l'Art ancien et moderne. Plate size: 6 1/2 x 4 5/8 inches (167 x 117 mm). Not signed.

$150.00
Fredrick Freer original etching The Token Fredrick Freer original etching "The Token"

Medium: original etching. This impression was printed on laid paper and published in 1887 by the New York Etching Club. Plate size: 6 x 4 inches. Not signed.

$150.00
George Henry Smillie original etching "An Old New England Orchard" George Henry Smillie original etching "An Old New England Orchard"

Medium: original etching. Executed in 1883; this is a rich, dark impression on heavy cream wove paper, from the "Original Etchings by American Artists" portfolio, published in 1883 by Cassell and Company. The plate size is 8 x 11 3/4 inches. In fine condition with full original margins. George Henry Smillie was the brother of artist James David Smillie. Signed in the plate (not by hand).

$150.00
James Smillie original etching At Marblehead Neck James D. Smillie original etching "At Marblehead Neck"

Medium: original etching. Executed in 1883; this is a rich, dark impression on heavy cream wove paper, from the "Original Etchings by American Artists" portfolio, published in 1883 by Cassell and Company. The plate size is 5 x 11 7/8 inches. Signed in the plate (not by hand).

$150.00
Ignaz Marcel Gaugengigl original etching Mischief Ignaz Marcel Gaugengigl original etching "Mischief"

Medium: original etching. This impression on cream laid paper was printed in 1880 and published by the American Art Review. The American Art Review featured original etchings by leading American artists of the era, which only lasted three years and is now quite scarce. Plate size: 8 3/4 x 6 3/8 inches (224 x 163 mm). Signed in the plate (not by hand).

$150.00
Ignaz Marcel Gaugengigl original etching Difficult Question Ignaz Marcel Gaugengigl original etching "A Difficult Question"

Medium: original etching. This impression was printed in 1888 on cream wove paper and published by Estes and Lauriat. Image size: 6 1/4 x 8 3/4 inches (160 x 225 mm). Signed in the plate (not by hand).

$150.00
Ignaz Marcel Gaugengigl original etching Summer Ignaz Marcel Gaugengigl original etching "A Maiden Fair to See"

Medium: original etching. This work is also known as "Summer". This impression was printed in 1882 on cream laid paper and published in Boston by Estes and Lauriat for the "Nature and Art" portfolio. Plate size: 7 3/8 x 4 3/4 inches (186 x 121 mm). Signed in the plate (not by hand).

$150.00
Joseph Pennell original lithograph "Le Puy" Joseph Pennell original lithograph "Le Puy"

Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1897 and published in London for The Studio. Sheet size: 11 x 7 3/4 inches (282 x 199 mm). This impression on cream wove paper is embossed with The Studio dry stamp in the margin. Signed in the plate (not hand-signed).

$150.00