Title in Caroline Armington’s etching record book: Pont Neuf de 1918

Year: 1918

Number: 206

Size: 32 x 41 cm; Remarque is 3 x 5 cm.

States: 2

Titles on Print:

One titled in pencil Pont Neuf, Paris, 1918 and two titled in the plate Le Pont Neuf de 1918, Paris

Others not titled

Initials or Signature and Date in Plate: CHA 1918 c.r.

Planned Edition: 50

Total Number of Impressions: 54 (see comments)

Numbers in Pencil:

État 10/12

35/50 and x/xx not legible

Prints without title, not numbered.

Signatures in Pencil: Caroline Armington and Caroline H. Armington

Printed Signature: Caroline Armington

Dedication:

Caroline Armington’s etching record book contains the following notes for this print:

1st state 2 prints

2nd 9

21

17   1 to 47 incl.

Plate sold

Nov. 1923

Plate purchased by Monsieur Paul Samy, Directeur administratif de la Société Française des Beaux-Arts.

Title removed

12 prints No 1/12

Price in Caroline Armington’s etching record book: 125 f

Plate:

Plate was purchased by Monsieur Paul Samy, Directeur administratif de la Société Française des Beaux-Arts in 1923.

Collections:

PAMA

Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique, Brussels

Georgetown University Library, Washington D.C

République Française, Ministère de la Culture ( purchased in 1919 for 125 f)

Exhibitions:

Etchings by Caroline Armington: December, 1929. Toronto: The Art Gallery of Toronto.

Le Goupy, Paris, 1919

Ralston Galleries, New York, April 14-25, 1924

Publications:

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) 20 April 1924

Dayton Daily News, July 7, 1924

Comments:

Caroline Armington sold two plates to the Société Française des Beaux-Arts, CA-206 & CA-347.

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Definitions:

‘’Péniches’’: barges

‘’Remarque’’ :    Petite esquisse gravée dans la marge d'une estampe. A small design etched on the margin of a plate.

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Three (3) types of prints have been found so far:

CA-206 Titled in pencil or in plate, signed and numbered in pencil.

CA-206-a Not titled, with printed signature and without ‘’péniches’’ (barges) en remarque.

CA-206-b Not titled, with printed signature and with ‘’péniches’’ (barges) en remarque.

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The remarque (barges, ‘’Péniches’’ in French) was etched on a small plate separated from the plate of subject. It shows ‘’C.A.’’ etched in the plate. This is unusual since Caroline Armington usually uses CHA in capital letters to initial her etchings. Nevertheless she has used ‘’c. a.’’ (in lower case) as her initials to sign her dedication in pencil on some prints.

No mention about the remarque is made in Caroline Armington’s etching record book. For CA-347 mention of the etching of the remarque is made in Caroline Armington’s etching record book.

Most likely, Types CA-206-a and CA-206-b were printed and distributed by the Société Française des Beaux Arts.

Total Number of pencil signed and numbered impressions (as per notes): 61 approx.

Total Number of Impressions by la Société Française des Beaux-Arts. : Unknown. A rather large number of them seems to be available on the market.

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The Société Française des Beaux-Arts was initially created in April 1894 under the name Société Populaire des Beaux-Arts. It officially changed its name in October 1920. Its aims were to encourage young artists and to educate the people to art.

Its members were eligible to receive a print each year for the price of their modest membership fees.

It seems that it stopped temporally its activities during the First World War and was then active until 1939.

In 1918 it had approximately 8000 active members. This may explain the high number of this print that is available on the market.

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For some type CA-206-a prints, the printed signature seems to be more distant from the edge of the plate (lower) than what is found for other prints. Most likely, two printings were made by the Société Française des Beaux Arts.

These have been catalogued as CA-206-a1 and CA-206-a2.

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