The Judgement of Solomon-After Master FVB–Heliogravure–Amand-Durand–Durand Stamp

Description

The Judgement of Solomon– Heliogravure – Amand-Durand – After Master FVB Engraving – Durand Stamp

This impression is a heliogravure reproduction by Charles AmandDurand, based on the famous engraving The Judgement of Solomon by a Netherlands master engraver, identified as Master FVB, or Monogrammist FVB in1475-1488 (TIB 81, Lehrs, Vol. 7, p.116, no. 2). Produced in 1876, this copy bears AmandDurand’s red collector’s stamp (Lugt 2934) on the verso.

The Judgement of Solomon is a celebrated work held in major collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum, and Art Institute of Chicago. The original engravings are rare and highly prized in today’s market.

AmandDurand’s high-end heliogravures faithfully replicate these masterpieces at a fraction of the cost, while his red-stamped impressions are especially collectible, distinguishing them from later, unmarked printings

About Amand-Durand and His Heliogravures
Charles Amand-Durand (1831–1905) was a renowned Parisian engraver, publisher, and the inventor of the heliogravure technique. In the late 1860s, commissioned by the Louvre Museum, he sought ways to preserve and restore worn prints by the Old Masters. Discovering that many original plates were too degraded to yield quality impressions, he turned to the newly developed heliogravure process to create meticulous facsimiles from early, high-quality impressions housed in major print collections.

His method involved photographic transfer to a light-sensitive copper plate, followed by manual refinement of intricate lines and tonal areas. Each piece required months of preparation, resulting in reproductions so exact that even experienced curators were occasionally fooled. Amand-Durand’s heliogravures are therefore regarded not merely as reproductions, but as works of art in their own right.

To mark his work ethically and confidently, Amand-Durand applied a red stamp (Lugt 2934) to the back of each heliogravure. After his death in 1905, many of his copperplates were reused by others—but without the stamp, leading to confusion in the collecting world. For this reason, stamped impressions are the most desirable and collectible today.

Print Details

Image Size: 11 × 8.75 in

Technique: Heliogravure Etching

Paper: Laid paper with VANGELDER watermark

Condition: Excellent – strong impression, no noticeable damage, unframed

Provenance

Bertolami Fine Art, Italy

Ripley Auctions, USA

Inscriptions

Bottom: FVB