WB Closson Engraving

I picked up this large WB Closson print a couple, few years ago. Guy had an amazing paper collection. I wish I knew more about the ephemera world at the time. His antique document and other paper goody collection was to die for and there was lots of it at good prices. The crown jewel being a GW doc. Knowing very little I made around 5 hundo on a less than $50 investment picking out two cool pieces of the “good stuff” tables. This was getting tossed around by everyone in a pile of paper on a table in a barn attic. I threw it in a stack and brought it home. I really love the image. I believe it’s a wood engraving? Closson was a pretty well regarded artist. This one is dated December, 1889 (I think that’s the year), I read that he gave up print making the next year in favor of painting. I swear I found some info on this particular piece a couple years ago but I looked again the other day and cannot find it. It looks like a swallow (bird) in the image. For some reason I had nightingale in my head but certainly looks like a swallow. It’s not supposed to be Jenny Lind is it? Hoping someone may be able to help me ID the title of the piece and possibly the source of this large image. Paper is 27.5”x34.5”. I have no idea what it says after his name in the spot without the date.

 

"Pinxit" followed by the initials of the engraver (which I can't read) and the abbreviation "SC."

Debora

 

https://americanart.si.edu/artist/william-baxter-closson-920

 

Jenny Lind? Not hardly likely.

 

It's a landscape. Is this the correct orientation?

Debora

 

The swallow will have a symbolic meaning. One of the things they represent is the souls of the dead. Do you think she's meant to be a ghost?

Debora

 

It must be. The way I have it stored I always see it upright so I just photographed it that way but you’re correct I believe.

 

You forgot "as usual."

Debora

 

I see Pinxl and ET or EL. Any idea what Pinxit or Pinxl means? So you think what I see as EL or ET is the engravers initials?

 

tis true

 

Can't you take it out of the wrapping and give us a clear look at the image?

Bear in mind that he spent a lot of time in France - including this period.

I think it says "W. B. Closson pinxl. et sc.", which means that the drawing was his own work and he engraved the print as well. ("et" being French for "and")



Very frequently, at least three different specialists were involved in the process: the guy who created the original image (without a thought to it being reproduced), another guy who did an intermediary image, in reverse and in black and white, and then the guy who took that intermediary image and engraved a printing plate based on it. In this case it was all done by the one artist. I'm guessing this image is the reverse of his original drawing.

I think it's fair to say that most engravings from the 19th C and earlier are one person reproducing another person's work in a different medium, e.g. painting to engraving. There are certainly plenty of exceptions, but so far as reproductive technology in multiples was concerned, engraving and etching was all that was available.

Those artists who did the whole process themselves were entirely aware that making multiples was a means of producing lower priced works, in the most labor and cost efficient manner, for people who could not afford the unique pieces.

 

Yep. As above.

Debora

 

I did read that he apprenticed as an wood engraver so I think it makes sense that he did make the print himself. I did also read somewhere about his spending time in France so your interpretation of “et” makes sense. Do you know what pinxl means?

This piece lives far away in storage so I won’t be able to get a better photo of it anytime soon. In any case it seems that this could possibly be a relatively unknown or at least little known work of his. When that is the case I prefer to have some control over a clean digital image. If it turns out I end up selling I like the buyer to know they have or have the rights to the only known clean images. I haven’t had that chance often but when I do I watermark my listing images or place small items in random spots on the artwork/photo. It may be a bit of overkill especially if something isn’t in ultra high demand but I believe it’s still a selling point. In this case so far there doesn’t seem to be any hint of this one anywhere online. I really did think I found it once but maybe I’m imagining that. I doubt there’s many Closson collectors but someone may like being the only one to have it if I decide to sell it someday.

 

Pinxit = painted it; et = &; sc (sculp) = engraved it. So he did both the original painting & the engraving.

 

Rad, thanks!

 

He is credited with both on numerous pieces of his work that I find (on the internet.)

Debora

 

I wouldn't be surprised if yours is entitled 'Blithe Spirit' or some such.

Debora