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Foire de Village, 1788
Village Fair
Etched and engraved color proof from four plates
After Nicolas-Antoine Taunay (Paris 1755-1830 Paris)
382 x 273 mm.; 15 x 10 3/4 inches
Reference:
Inventaire 18e siècle, no.6773 LR
Portalis and Beraldi 1
Graveurs français, 1985: no. 125, p. 99
Notes:
To catalogue this work, we refer to the set of color proofs in etching and wash manner, printed from separate plates in the same way as Noce de Village and illustrated in the National Gallery’s catalogue Colorful Impressions: no. 55, pp. 108-111.
The black plate here also has been printed in different states:
A. Earliest state without any lettering.
B. With lettering in italics:
Foire de Village
A Paris chez Descourtis rue des gds Dégrés No. 12
C. With lettering, not in italics and a Coat of Arms:
Foire de Village
Dedicated to M.R.Hentzi,
Gouverneur des pages du Prince d’Orange
D. Without Coat of Arms and with lettering in English.
On the basis of the above, this is a proof impression of State B from the black plate (plate I) with colors added from plates II, III and IV. Thus, the plate V carmine, which would have intensified the red, is not included.
This work, together with Descourtis’ Noce de Village, forms one of the great pairs of French eighteenth-century printmaking. Although not created as a pair, from the beginning on, they were and still are considered as pendants. Noce de Village was first offered for sale in 1785 and then Foire de Village in 1788.
