A Pier in England

In this print Buhot essentially repeated the composition of A Landing in England in reverse, ostensibly because he had more to say about the subject. This first state of the print, almost pure drypoint, was printed in eighteen impressions, which vary in their amounts of burr and retroussage (selective wiping of the plate). The burr—the furrows of copper on the plate left by the drypoint marks that hold additional ink—is here responsible for the rich and almost feathery splotches of ink that define many of the figures. But overall, the scene is lighter and brighter than its initial model, and the marginal sketches are smaller and simpler. Afterwards, the plate went through a variety of experiments, with elements removed and sometimes replaced, until the radical metamorphosis of the penultimate state.

Félix Buhot
French, 1847–1898

Private collection

1879

This image is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. Other uses are not permitted.

Drypoint and roulette
State one of eight
Plate: 11 3/4 x 7 13/16 inches