A glimpse of life in the early 20th Century is captured in this Antique Drypoint Etching by Edgar Chahine (1874-1947). One woman sits in the foreground with a bowl in her lap while two others are in the background. They are all in the process of laundering linens and clothes. Influences of post-impressionism are visible in the rendering of this print which is part of Chahine's "Impressions D’Italie" collection.
Collector's Notes:
Antique Edgar Chahine (1874-1947) Women Doing Laundry Framed Drypoint Etching; "Nin" from his Impressions D’Italie collection; early 20th Century; Signed lower right and numbered "38"; Condition: Very Good
Expected wear for age; minor spotting and discoloration on mat and paper consistent with age. No visible damage, not examined outside of frame. Inspect images and video.
Size: Approx 11" x 14"
Edgar Chahine (1874-1947)
Edgar Chahine was an Armenian immigrant to France, who arrived in Paris with his mother circa 1895, having received his education in Venice. Chahine’s father, a well-heeled banker, had stayed behind in Constantinople and afforded mother and son a life free of financial worry. Young Edgar took advantage of this fully. While he started his artistic career as a painter, by 1899 he was fully vested in the art of making intaglio prints. Chahine became a master, mixing etching with aquatint, often delineating in soft-ground and adding touches of drypoint where needed. He devoted much attention, especially as a young man, to street life and its many characters. Like many of his peers, he also relished in depicting elegance, even when it suggested an “underbelly” of modern life. Along with Jacques Villon and Louis Legrand, he is recognized as one of the most important etchers of the Belle Epoque in France.
