Monday 3 October 2016

"Signed drawing" is actually an early colour-printed photograph by noted amateur

Rops, from Belgium, sells on 10 October 2016 a "Drawing of a lady, signed" estimated at 80 to 120 Euro.

It is actually a photograph by Vicomte (Viscount) Paul de Singly (1844-1912), a noted amateur photographer mainly active during the last 10 years of his life. This photograph has all the necessary information to find this on the back of the work: it is a 2-colour study with fat inks, exhibited at the Photo-Club de Paris.

A large lot of his photographs was sold at Gros Delettrez (France) in 2008. A self-portrait fetched 450 Euro and a portrait (pictured) went for 380 Euro. Most other works went for a lot less, but were generally less interesting than these two. None of them were in colour.

Comparing the model to other photos by Singly, published in "Die Kunst der Photographie" in 1907, suggest a similar date for this work (photo and info courtesy of a Photoseed collection).

The portrait for sale is a very strong image, and the experimental technique and the fact that it was exhibited only increase the appeal. I would estimate it at 300 to 400 Euro.

UPDATE: sold for 80 Euro, seems very cheap to me.

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