43. Félix Buhot
1847-1898
Westminster Palace

(click on image to print)
Westminster Palace

Westminster Palace

Etching and drypoint, with touches of sulphur tint,1884, 298 x 390 mm., Bourcard/Goodfriend 155 i/viii. A fine impression of the rare first state on thin, wove paper with small margins; small splits in the upper left corner have been reinforced. The print offers a rare opportunity to see how Buhot begins a plate. The composition is virtually complete and much fine detail is already present. But the image awaits interpretation: the shadings that evoke time and weather, the play of light, the quirky touches that express artistic personality, the whole attitude toward the subject. Still, the impression is beautiful on its own objective terms and no mean demonstration of the artist's abilities as a draughtsman.