THODORE GRICAULT

Retour de Russie. Lithograph printed in black and tan on cream wove paper, 1818. 444x362 mm; 17 1/2x14 1/4 inches, 1 1/4- to 3-inch margins. First state (of 2), before the printed title lower center. Horizontal crease with associated splitting upper margin and lower margin, both outside the image, several repaired edge tears, backed with Japan paper. A good impression of this large, early lithograph. According to Delteil, rare in this state. He cites 11 impressions in the first state; we locate only 4 other impressions in the first state at auction in the past 20 years. Delteil 13.