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View, England, London, Nelson’s Monument, Mortimer Menpes, Australian British, Antique Etching, 1912-13

$750

Mortimer Menpes (1855-1938)
Nelson’s Monument (Trafalgar Square)
Pangbourne, England: 1912-1913
Etching and drypoint, edition of 50
Signed in pencil lower right margin: Mortimer Menpes imp.
6 x 13.75 inches, image
10 x 16 inches, overall
$750

Detailed etching of a street level view of the base of Nelson’s Monument in Trafalgar Square from a large series of etchings of Edwardian era London. The composition is centered on the base with its relief carvings and the bottom of the column, surrounded by four sculptures of lions on plinths. Pedestrians and horse drawn carriages are lightly sketched in the park and the street across the square. The catalogue raisonné of Menpes’s etchings notes that an etching from this edition was first exhibited in London in 1913.

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Description

Trafalgar Square was named for a British naval victory during the Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars in 1805. In the center is Nelson’s Column, a monument topped by a statue of Horatio Nelson, who commanded the British Navy during the battle. The square is regarded as the official center of the city of London. It is also a popular site for parades, civic gatherings, and political demonstrations.

Mortimer Menpes was an Australian-born British painter, printmaker, illustrator, and author. Born in Adelaide, Australia, where his parents had relocated from England, he studied at the Adelaide School of Design. His formal art training began in 1878 at the School of Art in London after his family had moved back to England. Menpes also studied with James McNeill Whistler, whom he met in 1880 and who taught him etching. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1880, and exhibited regularly there over the following 20 years. He became a major figure in the etching revival, producing more than 700 different etchings and drypoints that he usually printed himself. Menpes traveled widely in Europe, Asia, North Africa, and Mexico, during the early 20th century, publishing many illustrations in travel books. He was a member of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers, the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. His works are highly collectible as fine art etchings by an Australian artist.

Condition:  Generally very good, recently professional cleaned and deacidified with light remaining over toning, wear, handling. Formerly mounted with tape in side margins now professionally removed leaving pale discoloration marks, easily matted out. Margins slightly irregular, with small chip in upper left corner, all ample for framing beyond platemark.

References:

Morgan, Gary, and Menpes, Mortimer. The Etched Works of Mortimer Menpes (1855-1938). Australia: Stuart Galleries, 2012. 327.

“Mortimer Menpes.” Wikipedia. 25 September 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortimer_Menpes (15 January 2024).

Additional information

Century

19th Century