Théodore Valerio, Young Lady at Water Well, Basel, Switzerland – 1841 lithograph

Théodore Valério Young Lady at Water Well, Basel, Switzerland

Prix ordinaire: €44,95

Prix soldé: €44,95
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View the full Collection: French Hand-coloured Lithographs of the Mid-19th-century

An original 1841 lithograph print, Théodore Valério, Young Lady at Water Well, Basel, Switzerland.

A fine lithograph with a touch of hand-colouring by Théodore Valério (1819–1879).

Valério, a French artist of Italian origins, entered the studio of Nicolas-Toussaint Charlet in Paris in 1834. The two artists soon became friends, and in 1836 they travelled together on a sketching tour of Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Valério showed precocious talent and made his Salon debut in 1838, at the age of nineteen. In the 1840s and 1850s he made extensive tours of Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Romania, as well as the Balkans and Turkey. On his travels he made numerous studies of the exotic costumes of the people he encountered, as well as genre scenes, and many of these were published in the form of albums of lithographs or etchings. During the Crimean War (1853–1855) he was attached to the Ottoman army of Omar Pasha, and made numerous drawings of the conflict. In later years he settled in Brittany.

Valério's prints can be found in the collections of the British Museum, the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC and Princeton University Art Museum.

Trimmed to the image as shown. One of a pair that we have for sale (see JU-442).

French Hand-coloured Lithographs of the Mid-19th-century

This print forms part of a beautiful collection of mid-19th century hand-coloured lithographs that we have for sale. The lithographs are principally French in origin and include a number of works by important French lithographers of the day, such as Célestin Nanteuil (1813–1873), Théodore Valério (1819–1879) and Alfred André Géniole (1813–1861).

The invention of lithography by Bavarian chemist Alois Senefelder in 1796 revolutionised printing, allowing prints to be made faster, cheaper and more plentiful than ever before. The technique became successfully established in Paris by 1816, one year after the fall of Napoleon. In 1839 printer Pierre Benoiste declared that 'Lithography is painting for the people. Oil paintings … are for the rich; engraving is for the bourgeoisie'. It was used to print all manner of paper material, including sheet music, newspaper illustrations, posters, maps, timetables, menus and more. Although not intended as an artist’s medium, fine artists were also quick to explore the potential of the new medium.

This collection of prints features extensive hand-colouring, bringing the monochrome lithography to life with real vividness; gum arabic and coating varnish often further heighten the colour. The art of hand-colouring prints is a little-studied but distinct discipline, requiring skill and flair to be done successfully.