Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot (1796-1875) - Lot 73

Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot (1796-1875) Souvenir d'Italie. 1863 (not 1866 as announced by Delteil). Etching. 238 x 321. Delteil 5. Very fine and brilliant proof on strong ivory laid paper watermarked "1862", of the rare 1st state (of 4), before any letter and before the number. Small tear at right edge. Traces of glue in the corners on verso. Fine margins [330 x 460]. "For Corot, this plate can be considered to have had only one state, but it underwent numerous alterations that led, after the Société des Aquafortistes print run, to reworkings that are not, strictly speaking, deliberate modifications of the subject. Rare proofs before the letter, one of them annotated by Jules Michelin, who undoubtedly helped Corot bite and test this plate, although Delteil attributes this work to Bracquemond, which is not exclusive." (M. Melot, L'œuvre gravé de Boudin, Corot, Daubigny, Dupré, Jongkind, Millet, Théodore Rousseau, Paris, Arts et métiers graphiques, 1978, p. 258).