Woman Reading by Lamplight

Principally preoccupied with the depiction of weather conditions, Buhot rarely etched an interior scene (except for book illustrations). But Woman Reading by Lamplight, with its direct and reflected lights and subtle intermediate tones, is a brilliant example. The woman may be Henrietta Johnston, Buhot’s future wife. The location, according to a pencil inscription on another impression, is Barham Court, Kent, in England, the residence of Roger Leigh, a friend of Buhot’s and a cousin of Miss Johnston. The use of stop-out (covering an area of the plate with varnish so that it will not accept ink, thus allowing the white of the paper to come through in the printing) to create light is a characteristic device of Buhot’s prints.

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.

Etching, aquatint, and stop-out
Second state of two
Plate: 7 1/16 x 5 3/16 inches