Charles François Hutin

When Charles François Hutin published his own corpus of prints entitled Recueil de différents sujets composés et gravés par Charles Hutin à Dresde in 1763, the works were arranged in five series, each of which was marked with a letter from ‘a’ to ‘e’ and given a number. The outcome thus comprised five thematically subdivided series with depictions inter alia of graves, fountains, and biblical and profane subjects. The present composition devoted to the birth of Christ was the fifth work in the series marked with the letter ‘d’. A rare depiction, it is available here in an early impression before the addition of the letter and the number.

The sensitively observed and skilfully composed scene of the birth of Christ is notable for Hutin’s spirited and varied etching technique and the dense, extremely delicate hatching patterns. Its refined, elegant classicism is typical of the age of Louis XV. A very fine, differentiated and contrasting impression with a light veil of tone and wide margins. In superb condition.