The Great Lyre

The Great Lyre. Félicien Rops, Paris, 1895. Mixed technique, drypoint, soft varnish, heliogravure. Sheet dimensions: 50 x 32 cm. Plate mark dimensions: 22.8 x 15.7 cm. Printed on Japan paper. Very good condition and very large margins. The first state of the Lyre was printed in 1887 to illustrate the frontispiece of Stéphane Mallarmé's work, "Poésie-Premier cahier" published in Brussels by Deman. This is the fifth final state, printed during the artist's lifetime, without lettering and as a plate. Félicien ROPS (Namur 1833, Corbeil-Essones 1898) is one of the great engravers of his time. His engravings are known for their finesse and liveliness, but also for astonishing compositions around his favorite themes: death, women, eroticism, satanism, social satire, and caricatures. He also devoted himself to illustrating the works of great authors of his time, here for Mallarmé, but also Baudelaire. As much as this free artist can be associated with a movement, he certainly fits into symbolism, impressionism, and realism.