FELICIEN ROPS Original 1856-58 Lithograph

Description: This is a superb original lithograph by internationally acclaimed Symbolist artist FELICIEN ROPS, (Belgian, 1833-1898), circa 1856-58. Félicien Rops, born in 1833 in Belgium, personified in his day the brilliant bourgeois dandy artist with too much dark talent to spare. Rops spent his youth in a number of decadent European cities, but was particularly drawn to Brussels, with its hoards of grinning prostitutes and absinthe drinkers. Always attracted to literature, Rops soon lent his etching talents to those authors whom his own class vigorously condemned. He illustrated Baudelaire's condemned poems from the Flowers of Evil and d'Aurevilly's Les Diaboliques. He was also drawn into the order of Rose + Croix, a group of artists who denounced the mundane realism and bright impressionism of their contemporaries in favor of dark mythic subjects such as sphinxes, satyrs, sirens and Salomes. While following the "fashionable" Satanistic and black magic tendencies of his bohemian colleagues, Rops managed to translate the often grim subject matter into the pearly, voluptuous bodies of his beloved Flemish women. His down-to-earth models appear, with their wry, defiant smirks in the most surreal of settings, their bodies turned into fantastic monsters or ancient deities. Rops gained fabulous popularity in his lifetime. While his etching can appear shocking even to the bored modern eye, their dark sensuality seeped its influence onto the writhing curves of Art Nouveau, and onto the likes of Rodin, Munch, Klimt and Toulouse-Lautrec, as well as early expressionist German cinema. This rare original lithograph is entitled "Soubre" and appeared in "Uylenspiegel", no. 19; there is newsprint on the verso. It measures 5 ¾" x 9" (image), 10 ¼" x 14 ¼" (sheet) and is matted for a total size of 14" x 18". It is in good overall condition aside from uneven toning in the margins. PROVENANCE: Associated American Artists, New York, NY; accompanied by their original Certificate of Authenticity. Authenticity is GUARANTEED. Shipping is $15.00 within the US only, please email for international shipping rates. Please view my other auctions and eBay store for additional museum quality fine art and collectibles. Payment I accept the following forms of payment: PayPal Shipping & Handling USPS Priority Mail®

Price: 199 USD

Location: Los Angeles, California

End Time: 2024-02-17T01:57:52.000Z

Shipping Cost: 15 USD