I have a small collection of etchings I've accumulated in my travels. I have three from Europe and a handful of others dug up in flea markets here and there. I often find myself drawn to etchings, with their delicate detail and often quaint historical content.
Recently, I was shopping in one of Calgary's precious few antique stores (this one located in the gentrified, post-industrial, hip & cool design district called Inglewood).
There is a rather filthy little shop there (with a surprisingly sane and interesting shop keeper), chock full of dirty and broken items, but some very interesting gems, if you don't mind digging all the way to China.
In the store, after a pleasant conversation with a young man visiting from Paris, I came across a pile of old etchings, and brought home ($10) this wee beauty entitled "A Bientot" ('til we meet again). It looks like a lady of some breeding bidding adieu to a hopeful suitor (who looks a little out of her league to me).
The lovely grey-blue mat is soiled and needs replacing, but I've already cleaned the print itself using a soft white eraser.
Maybe I should go back for another - there was a really big pile - one with a shipwreck scene is calling me.
Artwork is great to collect, and fun to find in those kind of shops. You never know where you'll find them.
ReplyDeleteAnd hey, it's quite a different collection from the magnets we used to "have to" bring home to dad on any trip we took! haha. My dad is an art collector, too.