I never posted the details for the image at the top of this blog, printed by François-Séraphin Delpech (1778-1825) after a painting by Louis-Léopold Boilly (1761-1845), Les amateurs de tableaux (The Art Connoisseurs), 1823-1828. Lithograph. Graphic Arts GC077 French prints
This is one of ninety-six lithographs created and published under the series Recueil de grimaces (A Collection of Grimaces) between 1823 and 1828. A copy of this print, along with several other Boilly caricatures, is included in the current exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Infinite Jest: Caricature and Satire from Leonardo to Levine. One of the Grimaces is also on the cover of the excellent catalogue written by our colleagues Constance McPhee and Nadine Orenstein.
Boilly’s Grimaces were created and sold in separate sheets rather than bound or in portfolio and so, they are usually not recorded in databases such as OCLC. While these prints were extremely popular and sold well, complete sets are very rare and to my knowledge, the Bibliotheque Nationale de France is the only institution with all ninety-six.
For an image of Delpech’s print shop, see the earlier post: /~graphicarts/2007/11/theprintshopoff_delpech.html
The first international retrospective of Boilly’s work opens at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in November to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the artist’s birth. For more information, see www.pba-lille.fr/spip.php?article2135
For more information about the artist, see Louis Boilly (1761-1845), Grimaces, Léopold Boilly, 1994. Marquand Library (SA), ND553.B4 D445 1994q.
Louis Boilly (1761-1845), L.-L. Boilly, peintre, dessinateur, et lithographe; sa vie et son œuvre, 1761-1845, 1898. Marquand Lib.ND553.B4 H24.
Louis Boilly (1761-1845), Louis Boilly, 1761-1845, 1984. Marquand Library (SA) ND553.B4 L68.
