Vintage Victor Valery Signed Notre Dame Reims Signed Etching France Framed 15"

Description

Lochelongue, Victor Valery (1870-1930)

Lochelongue, Victor Valery (1870-1930) was a French etcher of copper plate etchings (drypoint), primarily of scenes of Paris. He was born in Saint-Maurice (Seine), and was taught by the etcher Eugene Charrot.

He exhibited his etchings at the Salon des Artistes Francais from 1906. In the early part of his career it appears he produced only monochromatic (black/white) etchings signed “V Lochelongue”, but soon enough he turned to polychromatic etching, and in due course adopted the abbreviated signature of “Victor Valery”.

There are two images in existence that depict the same image of Notre Dame. One is signed “Victor Valery”, the other signed “V Lochelongue” (these likely reflect an early polychromatic effort – a palate of limited colors). An etching of a tower of the Rouen Cathedral also exists in two versions- a snow version signed Victor Valery and a twilight version signed V Lochelongue. It follows that these two different etchings bearing the two different signatures seem to set to rest the argument that Victor Valery was one artist and Victor Valery Lochelongue another. This makes it clear that in fact Victor Valery and Victor Valery Lochelongue were one and the same.
As he evolved, the palette of his etchings expanded. Safe to say, by and large, the more expansive the palette the later the work.

The vast majority of Lochelongue’s work consists of scenes in and around Paris; however, he also produced etchings of other places in France, e.g. Chartres and Rouen, as well as a few etchings of scenes outside France, e.g., Budapest and Nova Scotia.

Lochelongue’s etchings are known in two plate sizes. The larger is approximately 8 5/8” x 6 ¾”, and the smaller is approximately 5” x 3 1/8”. (measurements are approximate because the plates were doubtless created using metric measurements). The larger plates are seemingly always signed, with the one exception noted, “Victor Valery”, and the smaller plates simply “Valery”.

Individual plates are known with color/thematic variations. For example, an etching of Notre Dame – the same plate - is known with two color variations, one of Notre Dame in Spring/Summer, and one of Notre Dame in Winter. Similarly, an etching of Montmartre with Sacre Coeur exists in a day version and a night version.

Condition

Good Vintage Condition- Gentle wear to frame

Dimensions

13.25" x 0.875" x 15.675" / Sans Frame - 6" x 8.5" (Width x Depth x Height)