Pilate Washing His Hands (after Durer; Pl. 9, the Engraved Passion) by Charles Amand-Durand

Pilate Washing His Hands (after Durer; Pl. 9, the Engraved Passion) by Charles Amand-Durand

Pilate Washing His Hands (after Durer; Pl. 9, the Engraved Passion)

Charles Amand-Durand

Please call us at 707-546-7352 or email artannex@aol.com to purchase this item.
Title

Pilate Washing His Hands (after Durer; Pl. 9, the Engraved Passion)

 
Artist
Year
c. 1870  
Technique
heliogravure (after the woodengraving from 1512) 
Image Size
4 9/16 x 2 7/8" image size 
Signature
artist's red monogram stamp on verso 
Edition Size
not stated 
Annotations
Durer's monogram and date in the block, as usual 
Reference
(Durer's print: Strauss 63; Bartsch 11; Koehler 51; Wolfflin p.231; Dodgson 60; Meder 11) 
Paper
antique-white laid 
State
published 
Publisher
artist 
Inventory ID
24829 
Price
$200.00 
Description

In 1869 Charles Amand-Durand, already an established engraver, was hired by the Louvre to revive the plates and blocks of Old Masters, as many of the prints available to the public were printed from worn-down specimens that no longer held a crisp line, or were printed on papers of poor quality that did not hold up over time. As such, Amand-Durand spent much of his life tracking down first and second state prints from which to recreate the plate using helio/photogravure, rather than using the blocks and plates.

Amand-Durand's process could take up to six months to recreate one print, aiming for the accuracy of 1/1000mm. He developed a technique that involved exposing materials such as silver, mercury, copper, steel, and asphalt from the Dead Sea to electric light, and carefully incising the linework of Rembrandt, Durer, and other 15th and 16th century Old masters into the plate. His skill was so exact that the Parisian government banned the use of his techniques out of fear that they would be used to print money. His reproductions were sought after by major institutions such as the Bibliotheque Nationale.

 
Please call us at 707-546-7352 or email artannex@aol.com to purchase this item.