Mezzotint in black after a portrait painted by C.A Jensen in 1836. A rare handsigned proof before the final state with the name of the "sitter", the worldfamous fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen.
In 1928-30 Peter Ilsted executed 15 mezzotints after portratis painted by other artists. As the commercial potential of these portraits was rather limited, one must assume that Ilsted did them to challeng his own skill as an engraver - and as Ilsted had become rather prosperous at this time, he could afford to meet the challenge. Five of these portratis were printed and published posthumously by the DDRF (The Danish Etchers Society) but in the lifetime of Ilsted, they were printed in very small editions and the 10 of them, never reprinted by DDRF are today rare. This copy - never reprinted by DDRF - is a very rare copye before the text, handsigned by Ilsted and presented to Karl Madsen, the director of Statens Musem for Kunst (The National Gallery in Copenhagen), a former influential critic who had early supported Ilsted's art.
A CATALOGUE RAISONNÉ on the graphic work by Ilsted is under preparation. We are seeking information on his etchings and mezzotints
