Louis Legrand was born at Dijon, France. He initially worked as a bank teller and studied in his spare time at the Dijon Ecole des Beaux-Arts. At the age of 20, he was awarded a prize for his art and it encouraged him to travel to Paris. He studied under Felicien Rops - who was famed for his fashionable images of the Parisian "beau-monde". Legrand was a superb draughtsman and all his works are very sophisticated in both subject and execution.
This lovely 1908 drypoint etching depicts two fashionably attired Belle Epoque ladies sitting at a café table accompanied by an elegant boulevardier, He carries a cane and smokes his cigar, as he watches the ladies gossiping. I adore their extravagant hairstyles and large hats complete with ostrich feathers. It is called Soireux (Evening Entertainment).
My print is signed in the plate: "Louis Legrand" and also in pencil on the margin with initials. It is edition numbered and is number 21 out of a small edition of only 30 impressions. There is a little sketch in the lower left (as photographed) - there was a later edition which had this little sketch burnished out - so this is a rarer earlier issue and reflected in my asking price.
This is a lovely impression - with burr on the dark lines - and printed on pale cream wove paper. It has the Pellet-Legrand watermark.
The print is in lovely antique condition - with a line border and a gold painted outlined around the edge of the window mount. The frame is a nice black wooden one - and it is ready to hang straight on your wall. The colour of the paper and mount is more of a beige colour - the blue tone on some images seems to have come from my camera settings - grrrrr.
Dimensions: Frame 43.5 x 52.5 cm. Imag Szi is 16 x 28.5 m
This impression was originally purchased from the prestigious William Weston Gallery, London. His gallery label is still on the back of the frame.
The framed etching will cost £10 to send to you with Parcelforce38 - this will be applied to your order at checkout.