Adolphe Appian – A Waterwheel At Bordiquier (italy) – Etching, Signed And Dated

Large etching by Adolphe Appian, signed and dated in the plate. Another impression of this engraving is in the Davison Art Center (Wesleyan University, USA).

In the center of the scene, a man is seen operating a noria, a machine used to raise water from a well. The man pushes on the wheel with a long pole. The noria is set in a sparsely vegetated aquatic landscape. As is typical of Appian's work, the sky occupies a large space and illuminates the scene.

The work, in excellent condition, is signed and dated 1873 in the plate in the upper left corner. It is mounted under glass and placed in a modern, classically styled frame of dark wood with a gilt border. The frame itself is also in very good condition.

The artist
Adolphe Appian, pseudonym of Jacques Barthélémy Appian, was born in 1818 in Lyon, where he died in 1898. He trained as a painter at the School of Fine Arts in the same city. He worked for a time as a designer of patterns for silks before turning to a more artistic practice. He made his debut at the Salon of 1835 in Paris and exhibited at the Salon of 1847 in Lyon, then regularly at the Salons of both cities from 1855 onwards. He won a gold medal at the Paris Salon in 1868.

In 1852, his meeting with Camille Corot and Jean-François Daubigny had a decisive impact on his career: it was then that he decided to devote himself exclusively to painting and engraving, and adopted the style of the Barbizon School. He made several trips to Fontainebleau, as well as to the Bugey region, the Mediterranean coast, and elsewhere.

He enjoyed success during his lifetime. Napoleon III even bought one of his paintings in 1867. Around the same time, he lightened his palette, which until then had consisted of cool and warm tones.

Adolphe Appian was also a remarkable engraver. He practiced etching with virtuosity, as evidenced by the engravings we are offering. Well before the Impressionists, he produced numerous monotypes.
He was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1892.

Many French museums hold his works (museums in Lyon, Chambéry, Bourg-en-Bresse, Cannes, Montpellier, Cherbourg, Nice, etc.). Appian is also highly regarded in the United States. His works can be found particularly in San Francisco and Cleveland.
Appian's works have been the subject of numerous public auctions and always meet with great success.

Artwork on display at the gallery (07240).
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