An Early Morning Walk (Promenade matinale)

Artist Richard Ranft (Swiss, 1862–1931)

Dateabout 1900

Mediumcolor etching and aquatint with roulette, printed in colors on cream wove paper

Dimensions56.8 x 25.7 cm (plate), 59.4 x 27.4 cm (sheet)

ClassificationsPrints

Credit LineEliza S. Paine Fund

Terms

Object number2010.229

Label TextPromenade refers to a leisurely public walk for pleasure, often to display wealth and sophistication. By the late-nineteenth century, women wore specially designated attire for walking, biking, yachting, and tennis. “Morning dresses,” for walking, were simple in construction to allow for ease of movement; additionally, parasols shielded skin to preserve a fashionable, pale complexion. Trained by the Realist artist Gustave Courbet, Ranft is best known for his innovative color intaglio prints which combine influences from the Symbolist movement and Art Nouveau decoration. This tall, narrow plate recalls the format of “pillar prints,” traditional color woodcuts intended to hang on the narrow wooden piers of Japanese houses.ProvenanceJan Johnson, Chambly, QC, Canada

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