Title in Caroline Armington’s etching record book: La Cathédrale de Reims

Year: 1920

Number: 226

Size:

States: 3

Title on Print: La Cathédrale de Reims

Initials or Signature and Date in Plate: CHA 1920 l.l.

Planned Edition: 100

Total Number of Impressions: 110

Numbers in Pencil:

One dedicated  ‘’To the Des Moines Association of Fine Arts’’ not numbered

One ‘’ Bibliothèque Nationale’’ not numbered

1st state, 1, 4/4

2nd state, 1 print

11, 16, 49, 78/100

Signatures in Pencil: Caroline Armington and Caroline H. Armington

Dedication:

One ‘’To the Des Moines Association of Fine Arts’’

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

1st state 4 prints

2nd 1 print

3rd 10, 6, 6, 6,

Epreuve d’essai No 1/5 to 5/5

1 print to the Des Moines Association of Fine Arts

1 print for Frank not numbered

No 1 to 100

June 4, 1933

Plate presented to the Chalcographie du Louvre

Receipt by Mr. Henri Verne

Accepted by Mr. Angoulvent June 10, 33

Price in Caroline Armington’s etching record book: 150 f

Plate: The plate was donated to the Chalcographie du Louvre in June 1933.

The plate is still in the collection of the Chalcographie du Louvre. It has been steel plated.

The Chalcographie du Louvre is producing prints from this plate which are sold by the Louvre museum.

Collections:

Chalcographie du Louvre

Bnf

PAMA

Des Moines Art Center

Agnes Etherington Art Centre; Kingston, ON

New York Public Library

Exhibitions:

Publications:

Comments:

One of the seven (7) Caroline Armington’s plates in the collection of the Chalcographie du Louvre (CA-219, 222, 226, 227, 233, 239 and 254).

 

In 1933, Paul-Jules Angoulvent was the Curator of the Chalcographie du Louvre (the museum’s copper-plate engraving department). While Henri Verne was the overall Director of National Museums, Angoulvent managed the department that specialized in the production and preservation of prints from original copper plates.

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This plate (which has been steel plated) is still used today to produce contemporary prints sold through the Louvre's Boutique. 

These prints (which are not numbered and not signed) should normally feature the distinctive Chalcographie du Louvre blind stamp (an embossed seal) in the margin, which distinguishes them from the limited editions Caroline prints.

This blind stamp has been mandatory since the 2nd Empire (1852). Nevertheless, we have found some prints without it.

These prints also have the following typed inscriptions printed at the bottom: CAROLINE ARMINGTON – CHALCOGRAPHIE DU LOUVRE – EAU FORTE ORIGINALE. 

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Steel-facing or steel plating involves a micro-thin layer of iron/steel applied through electroplating. This makes the surface hard enough to withstand

hundreds or even thousands of impressions without the copper wearing down.

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