Edgar DEGAS (1834-1917). - Lot 37

Edgar DEGAS (1834-1917). L.A.S. with drawing, [1883 ?], to Camille Pissarro; 7 pages in-8° (one page a little soiled) Long, very beautiful letter of technical advice on etching to his "dear Pissarro" who is working on his Impressions gravées... and for their magazine project Le Jour et la Nuit, in association with Mary Cassatt, Félix Bracquemond, etc. Degas congratulates Pissarro on his zeal: "I ran to Mlle Cassatt with your package. She sends you the same compliments as I do on the subject. Here are the proofs The general blackish tint, rather grayish, comes from the printer. The plate is not flat enough". We need something smoother... Degas emphasizes "how resourceful the process is". He advises Pissarro to practice "laying down grains to obtain, for example, a smooth, even, fine sky. It's very difficult, if Maître Bracquemond is to be believed. If you only want to make original art engravings, it's perhaps easy enough". Degas indicates the method: a very smooth plate, well degreased with Spanish white; then pour the alcohol dissolved in the resin, "in the manner of photographers when they pour collodion on their mirror. Take care [...] to drain the plate well by tilting it) [drawing]. This liquid evaporates, leaving the plate covered with a more or less thick layer of resin, in small grains. When you bite down, you get a drawing". He indicates how to obtain lighter or darker shades, more even tones "with the stump or finger [...] on the paper covering the black varnish. Your black varnish looks a little too greasy to me. You've used too much grease or tallow. What did you blacken your varnish with, to get that bevelled tone on the back of the drawing? it's very pretty. Try something bigger, with a better board. For the color, I'll have you print your next shipment with colored ink. I also have other ideas for color plates [...]. It would be delightful to see the field contours very closely followed. Think you should start with one or two very, very nice plates of your own. I'm going to take my turn these days. - Caillebotte turns his windows into refuges of the Boulevard Haussmann, I'm told"... He encourages Pissarro to continue experimenting at Pontoise, pointing out more techniques: "There are some pretty original and curious color prints to be made there. Work on this a little if you can - I'll soon send you my own tests of this kind - it would be economical and new. [...] There's no need to compliment you on the artistic quality of your vegetable gardens. Only, as soon as you feel you've got the hang of it, try bigger and better things"... Provenance: Camille Pissarro archives (sale November 21, 1975, no. 19).