Honoré Daumier (1808-1879) (after) L'Amateur d'estampes. 1905. Wood engraving by Prunaire, after the canvas in the Petit Palais, Paris. 237x295. Printed in color. Very fine proof on chine applied to strong vellum, this support heavily oxidized. Wide margins. "L'Amateurillustrates the emergence during the Second Empire, in Balzac's France, of a new type of collector. The founding of the Société des aquafortistes in 1861, corresponds to the renewed interest of these amateurs in original prints, more accessible than painting to modest incomes. While continuing to observe the mores and characters of his time, Daumier here abandons the satirical verve of the lithographer inCroquis de Salon, to give his character a more universal expression. The recollected chiaroscuro atmosphere, the sobriety of the cameos and the monumentality of the modeling recall the impression of peaceful gravity that emanates from Chardin's interiors." (www.petitpalais.fr).