Large Bronze Dragon Incense Burner

Henri-Charles Guérard

1882–1883 · Etching, drypoint, and roulette; between states two and three of three · Drawings and Prints

Guérard made this etching as an illustration for Louis Gonse's two-volume book "L'Art Japonais" (1883), the first significant scholarly study of Japanese art published in French. Guérard contributed eleven etchings and 220 drawings to the project based on objects in renowned Parisian collections. This bronze dragon incense burner came from the collection of Henri Cernuschi (1821–1896), a banker who acquired 5,000 works of art during his travels in Japan and China in the early 1870s. Gonse wrote of the illustration: "M. Guérard has pit his strength against the monster. His feverish [etching] needle has translated well its epic energy." Japanese aesthetics continued to influence Guérard's printmaking for the remainder of his career.

Artist

Henri-Charles Guérard

Date

1882–1883

Medium

Etching, drypoint, and roulette; between states two and three of three

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Madeleine Fidell-Beaufort, in memory of Janine Bailly Herzberg, 2018