Author: Jean François Janinet (1752-1814) after Adriaen van Ostade (1610-1685)
Title: [Antique print, aquatint] Le Nouvéliste (The Newsmonger), published 1778/79.
Description: A beautiful colored aquatint after an original drawing by Adriaen van Ostade showing a group of peasants inside a farm. On the left, woman is feeding a girl, at center a man leaning on the lower part of a double door, and, on the right, a man sitting and reading the news to them. In the background, a spinning wheel and weaving loom.With the signature of Ostade on the lower left corner: 'A Ostade 1673.'The plate is cut within the margins and pasted on a mat. The inscriptions below are therefore missing.With the print comes a handwitten note that was pasted on the verso of the mat. It reports some significant details on this print and its technique:'Aquatint: Francois Janinet Aq: et (col.) Paris: 1752-1813. Introduced the practice of printing in colours with aquatint in France. He used a succession of plates (often 7 or 8 in number) for the different colours. His method of colour was extremely successful in imitating Ostade water colours with their clearly divided tints.Engraving, Etching: A. M. Hind. Brit. Museum.The method used here is aquatint strengthened with Etching and with several subsequent printings in colours. The blue in this case is not in exact register.' Aquatint and etching on paper, pasted on mat; cut within margins; total: 240 x 199 mm; with an extra sheet of paper with handwritten description; in very good condition. Nagler 17, IFF vol. XII nr. 16, Portalis et Beraldi 79, Paignon-Dyonval 2079.

Keywords: Farm|Farmers|Newspapers|Print drawing