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William Lee-Hankey

1869 - 1952

[Girl seated in a doorway] by William Lee-Hankey
 

[Girl seated in a doorway]   c.1910-13

  Original drypoint and aquatint, printed in colours.
Signed and inscribed in pencil, and with the artist’s blindstamp.
Not described by Hardie.
S 320 x 261 mm; P & I 205 x 153 mm
£495
 
One of only 24 proofs projected by the artist – it is thought unlikely that this edition was ever printed in full. Excellent impression, printed by the artist himself in tones of green, pink and black inks. Signed and inscribed in pencil by William Lee-Hankey “24 Impressions. No.2”.

William Lee-Hankey’s rare colour prints were his ultimate experiments in printmaking technique. Often, he would build up a colour print by overprinting multiple colour plates, in the manner of a colour woodcut. For this print, Lee-Hankey has used a drypoint plate printed in warm brownish-black ink which he has then overprinted with a tonal aquatint plate inked in colours applied à la poupée, by hand. Clearly an experimental proof printing, the colours do not achieve perfect registration and have a tendency to overflow into one another.

The young peasant women of Normandy were a constant subject for William Lee-Hankey’s printed works. He visited the village of a Etaples regularly, recording its local people in his watercolours and original prints, time and time again. This image of a young French girl sitting nonchalantly in a doorway is typical of his works in this vein.

On cream laid paper with full margins and deckle edge. Five small worm holes in lower margin and other marginal defects at extreme upper edge of sheet, though generally very good condition. Image surface, excellent.