Title in Caroline Armington’s etching record book: Pont St. Michel et Notre Dame de Paris No 2

Plate for the Société Française des Beaux Arts, purchased by the society for its members.

Year: 1925

Number: 347

Size: 36 x 42 cm (plate size) 31 x 41 cm (primary image size)

States:  9?

Titles on Print:

On a few prints, titled in pencil, Pont St. Michel et Notre Dame de Paris No 2;

On other prints, with printed signature, no title.

Initials or Signature and Date in Plate: CA 1925 c.r.

Numbers in Pencil:

One titled in pencil, signed in pencil, without ‘’chimère’’ en remarque dedicated "To my dear Frank from your affectionate wife. c.a." nor numbered

One titled in pencil, with ‘’chimère’’ en remarque and without signature, not numbered

One titled in pencil, signed in pencil, and without ‘’chimère’’ en remarque, not numbered

One titled in pencil, signed in pencil and without ‘’chimère’’ en remarque numbered 1/10

One titled in pencil, signed in pencil and without ‘’chimère’’ en remarque numbered 5/10

One titled in pencil, signed in pencil and without ‘’chimère’’ en remarque numbered 8th state 9/10

Al with printed signature not numbered

Signature in Pencil:

One titled in pencil, with ‘’chimère’’ en remarque and without signature.

On other prints(titled in pencil) Caroline Armington

Printed Signature: Caroline Armington

Dedication:

"To my dear Frank from your affectionate wife. c.a." (titled in pencil, signed in pencil, without ‘’chimère’’ en remarque and not numbered).

Planned Edition: Unknown

Total Number of Impressions: Unknown

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

1st state 1 print  

2nd 1

3rd 1

4th 1

5th 1  

6th 1 

7th 4

8th 10

Ép. d’essai 3

Number 1 to 10

1 for f.m.a. (Frank Milton Armington)

1 for Mr. & Mrs. Mortimer J. Fox

3 Ep. d’essai

Chimère etched on plate

1 for Frank

After the above including the Ep. d’essai, plate handed over to the Société Française des Beaux Arts.

Price in Caroline Armington’s etching record book: None

Plate: plate was handed (sold) to the Société Française des Beaux Arts.

Collections:

PAMA

Musée Carnavalet, Paris                                                                                                         

De Paul Art Museum, Chicago

Oklahoma City Museum of Art 

Exhibitions:

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

Publications:

Comments:

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

Definitions:

‘’Chimère’’: Chimera. A gargoyle from Notre Dame de Paris cathedral.

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

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Four (4) types of prints have been found so far:

CA-347 Titled in pencil, signed in pencil, numbered or not or dedicated in pencil and without ‘’chimère’’ en remarque.

CA-347-a Titled in pencil, with ‘’chimère’’ en remarque and without signature (in pencil or printed).

CA-347-b Not titled, with printed signature and without ‘’chimère’’ en remarque.

CA-347-c Not titled, with printed signature and with ‘’chimère’’ en remarque.

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The remarque was etched on the same plate as the subject (primary image). The subject shown on CA-347 was cropped on types CA-347-a, -b and -c to make room for the remarque on types CA-347-a and CA-347-c.

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What is not understood is the sequence of the creation and printing of CA-347-a and -b.

Possibly, Type CA-347-b is a CA-347-c printed without inking the etched remarque or after the remarque was removed.

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Total Number of pencil titled, pencil signed and numbered impressions (as per the notes): 23 or 26 (approx.).

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Most likely, types CA-347-b and CA-347-c were printed and sold or distributed by the Société Française des Beaux Arts.

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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