BOY SHOWS CAUGHT LIZARD in Bottle to CUTE Girls ~ Old 1867 Art Print Engraving

Description: THE EFT Artist: H. Le Jeune ____________ Engraver: J. Stancliffe Note: the title in the table above is printed below the engraving CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE 19th CENTURY ANTIQUE PRINTS LIKE THIS ONE!! PRINT DATE: This lithograph was printed in 1867; it is not a modern reproduction in any way. PRINT SIZE: Overall print size is 7 1/2 inches by 10 1/2 inches including white borders, actual scene is 7 1/2 inches by 9 inches. PRINT CONDITION: Condition is excellent. Bright and clean. Blank on reverse. Paper is quality woven rag stock paper. SHIPPING: Buyer to pay shipping, domestic orders receives priority mail, international orders receive regular air mail unless otherwise asked for. We take a variety of payment options, more payment details will be in our email after auction close. We pack properly to protect your item! FROM THE ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION: Writing, in the year 1858, of the works of Mr. Le Jeune, we observed that "whatever merits his other pictures possess," alluding to some Scriptural and Shakespearian subjects, "his real strength lies in his representations of children: here he stands without an equal among our living school of artists for truth, beauty, and natural expression; there is in them,-that is, the 'small folk,-nothing commonplace and rude; nor, on the other hand, do they convey the idea of being ' dressed up for their portraits; ' they are of the aristocracy of nature, ere, as it would seem, intercourse with the world has robbed them of their innocence and vulgarized their manners." The wood-engravings, 'The Plough,' 'Eustic Music,' 'Children gathering Water-lilies,' which illustrated the notice of this artist's life in the article alluded to, with many others we could point out, are examples of significance as regards his peculiar excellence. Among these others is ' The Eft,' exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1862, and now in the possession of Mr. Simpson, of Beigate, who has kindly allowed us to engrave it. How the little reptile in the bottle has been captured we cannot undertake to say; though having some pretensions to claim a place among the brotherhood of the ''gentle craft," we have never yet known an eft rise to the fly, or take a morsel of ground- bait; but the rod and line held by the exhibitor of the amphibious creature indicate that the lad has been fishing, and that somehow or other he has succeeded in obtaining " sport " of a kind that attracts the wonderment, as well as exciting some amount of timidity, in the group before him. The expression of delight and curiosity of the youngest child's face is especially inimitable. The manner in which the whole of the figures are arranged on the canvas shows a hand skilled in the art of producing picturesque effect. The Rev. J. G. Wood, in his valuable work, "The Illustrated Natural History," helps us to understand somewhat of the feelings which animate Mr. Le Jeune's group of girls. Describing the newt, or eft, he says, "Two species, at least, inhabit England; the Crested Newt, found plentifully in ponds and ditches during the warm months of the year, and is captured without difficulty. It is tolerably hardy in confinement, being easily reared from a very tender age, so that its habits may be carefully noted. This species has its name from the membranous crest which appears on the back and upper edge of the tail during the breeding season. The Smooth Newt is more terrestrial in its habits than the crested newt, and is often seen at a considerable distance from water. By the rustics this most harmless creature is dreaded as much as the salamander is in France, and the tales related of its venom and spite are almost equal to those already mentioned. During a residence of some years in a small village in Wiltshire, I was told some very odd stories about this newt, and my own power of handling these terrible creatures without injury was evidently thought rather supernatural." Please note: the terms used in our auctions for engraving, etching, lithograph, plate, photogravure etc. are ALL prints on paper, and NOT blocks of steel or wood or any other material. "ENGRAVINGS", the term commonly used for these paper prints, were the most common method in the 1700s and 1800s for illustrating old books, and these paper prints or "engravings" were created by the intaglio process of etching the negative of the image into a block of steel, copper, wood etc, and then when inked and pressed onto paper, a print image was created. These prints or engravings were usually inserted into books, although many were also printed and issued as loose stand alone lithographs. They often had a tissue guard or onion skin frontis to protect them from transferring their ink to the opposite page and were usually on much thicker quality woven rag stock paper than the regular prints. So this auction is for an antique paper print(s), probably from an old book, of very high quality and usually on very thick rag stock paper. A RARE FIND! AND GREAT DECORATION FOR YOUR OFFICE OR HOME WALL. Powered by eBay Turbo Lister The free listing tool. List your items fast and easy and manage your active items.

Price: 10.99 USD

Location: New Providence, New Jersey

End Time: 2025-01-27T18:35:51.000Z

Shipping Cost: 7.95 USD