1779 · Leyden
by Le Francq van Berkhey, J.
Leyden: Bij Frans de Does, PZ., 1779. 8vo. 225 x 135 mm., [9 x 5 inches]. 32 pp. Illustrated with a title-page vogmette, 32 etchings on 29 plates. Bound in contemporary leather backed boards; spine and edges show wear to the marbled paper, bookseller's description pasted to front pastedown. Images on good paper stock, nice clean copy.
First edition. Complete suite of 32 etchings on 29 plates by Pieter de Mare (1758-1796) after drawings by Christina Chalon (1749-1808).
Christina Chalon was an 18th century Dutch artist, known for her skills as a draughtsman and a printmaker. She was born into a family of artists in Amsterdam in 1749, her father being a musician and her grandfather, Louis Chalon (1687-1741), a painter of some reputation. She was trained by Sara Troost, daughter of the well-known artists Cornelis Troost, and later studied with Cornelius Ploos van Amstel. Her talents developed and she devoted her time to etching, inspired by the style of the Dutch Golden Age painter Adriaen van Ostade. Growing up in a circle of artistic, Christina was allowed to pursue her artistry with the encouragement of her family, a rarity for a young woman at the time. Chalon became known for her depictions of domestic scenes, particularly those of women and children.
Christina married at age 36 to Christian Frederick Rüpple, a merchant who also held a post at Leiden University as organist. She continued to work throughout her marriage, signing her work variously, "Chra Cha", "Chra Chal", or "C C", using her maiden name and building a clientele that dated back to her early years as an independent artist. Her many prints and drawings are a rich source for the daily life of women in the second half of the eighteenth century.
Women doing chores around the house and representations of the lives of children are almost the sole subject of her artwork. This makes Chalon quite a unique artist. We rarely see images of children playing with toys, but for Chalon this was a favorite subject. The women and children she portrays belong to the lower classes of society, but Chalon's work never displays any social misery or poverty. On the contrary, there is a perpetual optimism detectable in her prints and drawings and it is this mood that made her work popular with collectors. Some of here drawings were preproduced in etchings by Pietrer de Mare but she made many of her own etchings as well.
The plates in this book are indeed reminiscent of Adriaan van Ostade's wonderful genre works. Showing peasants, playing children and scenes of everyday Dutch life, document a visual record of Dutch vernacular culture. The original drawings were in the collection of Hendrik Dibbets, a Leiden admirer and collector of Chalon's work. Other editions appeared in 1779 and 1793. The work ends with a 4-page publisher's stock catalogue of prints for sale with prices.
Schaeps, Jef. [Blog] Women Artists in the Leiden Special Collections, Part 2. June 28, 2022. J. Buijnsters, Bibliografie van Nederlandse School - en Kinderboeken 1700-1800, 1455-1456, who writes, "more an art book for adults than a children's book."
For US libraries OCLC cites copies of the 1779 edition at NYPL, Morgan Library, & Harvard; for the 1793 edition Princeton, Morgan, and University of Washington; for the 1806 edition no copies are listed. . (Inventory #: 1263)
First edition. Complete suite of 32 etchings on 29 plates by Pieter de Mare (1758-1796) after drawings by Christina Chalon (1749-1808).
Christina Chalon was an 18th century Dutch artist, known for her skills as a draughtsman and a printmaker. She was born into a family of artists in Amsterdam in 1749, her father being a musician and her grandfather, Louis Chalon (1687-1741), a painter of some reputation. She was trained by Sara Troost, daughter of the well-known artists Cornelis Troost, and later studied with Cornelius Ploos van Amstel. Her talents developed and she devoted her time to etching, inspired by the style of the Dutch Golden Age painter Adriaen van Ostade. Growing up in a circle of artistic, Christina was allowed to pursue her artistry with the encouragement of her family, a rarity for a young woman at the time. Chalon became known for her depictions of domestic scenes, particularly those of women and children.
Christina married at age 36 to Christian Frederick Rüpple, a merchant who also held a post at Leiden University as organist. She continued to work throughout her marriage, signing her work variously, "Chra Cha", "Chra Chal", or "C C", using her maiden name and building a clientele that dated back to her early years as an independent artist. Her many prints and drawings are a rich source for the daily life of women in the second half of the eighteenth century.
Women doing chores around the house and representations of the lives of children are almost the sole subject of her artwork. This makes Chalon quite a unique artist. We rarely see images of children playing with toys, but for Chalon this was a favorite subject. The women and children she portrays belong to the lower classes of society, but Chalon's work never displays any social misery or poverty. On the contrary, there is a perpetual optimism detectable in her prints and drawings and it is this mood that made her work popular with collectors. Some of here drawings were preproduced in etchings by Pietrer de Mare but she made many of her own etchings as well.
The plates in this book are indeed reminiscent of Adriaan van Ostade's wonderful genre works. Showing peasants, playing children and scenes of everyday Dutch life, document a visual record of Dutch vernacular culture. The original drawings were in the collection of Hendrik Dibbets, a Leiden admirer and collector of Chalon's work. Other editions appeared in 1779 and 1793. The work ends with a 4-page publisher's stock catalogue of prints for sale with prices.
Schaeps, Jef. [Blog] Women Artists in the Leiden Special Collections, Part 2. June 28, 2022. J. Buijnsters, Bibliografie van Nederlandse School - en Kinderboeken 1700-1800, 1455-1456, who writes, "more an art book for adults than a children's book."
For US libraries OCLC cites copies of the 1779 edition at NYPL, Morgan Library, & Harvard; for the 1793 edition Princeton, Morgan, and University of Washington; for the 1806 edition no copies are listed. . (Inventory #: 1263)
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