Description

Charles Montbard (1841-1905)

Charles Montbard : The Storm, 1875

Original etching and aquatint

Proof on laid paper published by Alfred Cadart, Paris

Large untrimmed margins on one side – Dimensions at the square line: H. 182 mm x W. 275 mm. Sheet size: H. 310 mm x W. 480 mm.

Condition: sheet slightly dusty, paper fold in the lower left corner, fold towards the upper left corner, left and right margins slightly creased away from the subject.

Georges Montbard, pseudonym of Charles Auguste Loye taken after the Commune, is a French caricaturist, draftsman, painter and aquafortist. Under the Second Empire, he published caricatures of Victor Hugo and Sainte-Beuve. He was actively involved in the Paris Commune in 1871. During the Siege, he drew several scenes depicting the Germans. He then took refuge in London to escape the Versailles repression. From there, he sent his drawings to Le Monde illustré and L'Éclipse. He also contributed to many London periodicals. Even after the amnesty of 1880, Montbard remained in London where he got married. In 1872, he illustrated for The Illustrated London News, the riots in Ireland. From his exile, he sent drawings to Le Monde Illustré, which led Vincent Van Gogh to speak positively of his work.