We visit a French Impressionist painter known for his many landscapes, marine views and city scenes. #FerdinandJeanLuigini (1870-1943) was born in Orleans, France. His father was a renowned composer of ballets and operas. His sister was a concert harpist and his nephew Jean Tardieu was a major French poet.

Ferdinand learned his craft in Paris under Emile Verhaeren and by 1892 was exhibiting his works regularly. Within a handful more years he had broadened his shows to London, Brussels, Amsterdam and New York.

In fact, he was equally well known for both his large colour aquatints and his watercolours. Around 1920, the artistry of printing in aquatint with colours reached it’s peak. The publisher #EstampeModerne was a leading company in this field. It published works by many of the leading artists of the day including Kashmir, Pollack, Figura, Robbe, Helleu, Coussens,Luigini and Icart. These pieces were published in limited runs of around 200.

The aquatint (above) displays the extent to which publishing in aquatint had come. It bears the Estampe Moderne imprint (lower left) by the edition number. Rich tones of colour combine with smooth tonal shading bring this street scene to life. A fine example of not only Ferdinand’s talent but also Estampe Moderne’s publishing prowess.