Ink Wash Drawing By Gustave Greux "abstinence"

Ink wash in grisaille heightened with gouache by Gustave Greux (1838-1919), a study for his engraving after Jehan Georges Vibert (1840-1902). Protected by glass (the protective glass not touching the wash), and in a substantial Louis XV style keyed frame in openwork oak and stucco, gilded with gold leaf and patinated with bitumen of Judea. As indicated by the inscription on the back of the work, Gustave Greux created this monochrome (grisaille) version, titled "Abstinence," to prepare an engraving of the original work by Jehan Georges Vibert. This is a classic technical step where the engraver translates the colors of the original painting into shades of gray to better guide their work with the burin or etching. Visible dimensions of the wash drawing: 19 x 24 cm. Frame dimensions: 43 x 48 cm. Gustave-Marie Greux was a French painter and engraver born in Paris on July 27, 1838, and died in May 1919. A student of Gleyre and Robert-Fleury for painting and of Gaucherel for engraving, he was a highly talented etcher. Jehan Georges Vibert, known as Jean-Georges Vibert, born on September 30, 1840, in Paris, and died on July 28, 1902, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, was a French genre painter and playwright. He was the son of Théodore Vibert, a print and engraving publisher. His specialty was satirical genre painting. He is famous for his scenes depicting cardinals in worldly, indulgent, or ridiculous situations, humorously denouncing the hypocrisy of the high clergy. His style is characterized by extreme technical precision, a pronounced taste for anecdotal detail, and vibrant colors. He revolutionized watercolor technique in France, co-founding the Société des Aquarellistes Français (Society of French Watercolorists). He used special varnishes that he himself invented to give watercolors the brilliance and depth of oil paint. Very popular during his lifetime, his works were highly sought after by the upper class, particularly in the United States.