Count Ludovic LEPIC
Un Intrigant - "A Little Schemer"
- Original Eau-forte on Vergé d'Arches
paper.
A marvelous image of a little terrier, wearing
a vest, and begging.
The artist, Count Ludovic Lepic, was a good
friend and artistic collaborator of Edgar Degas.
Lepic's invented a printing process that he
called "variable etchings" in which
he would etch a drawing on a copper plate then
make multiple individual copies by altering
the way he re-wiped ink around the plate or
applying different levels of pressure each time
a new paper was used. Degas learned this print
making method from Lepic and used it in his
own work.
The Cleveland Museum of Art has in its collection a portrait by Degas of Lepic in which the artist holds a Belgian Griffin. It is possible that this is a dog of the same breed. Or it may be a Yorkshire, Cairn or other terrier.
Lepic was a dog lover from childhood. As a young man he raised greyhounds, and as an adult he became known as a painter of animal subjects.
Image size 8 X 11 inches
Sheet size: 12.75 X 18 inches