Charles Darwin, F.R.S.

Dundee Art Galleries & Museum: 272-1987-270

Artist: Rajon, Paul Adolphe

Date: c.1875

State: 3/3

Size: 55.3 x 40 cm

Medium: Etching

Alternative Title(s)	Charles Robert Darwin (after W. W. Ouless, R. A.)
Details	Etching. Black ink on lined paper. Marked as ‘proof on vellum’ in the Dundee Fine Art Exhibition Catalogue 1881, The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum.Signed ‘Rajon aq fort’ – meaning aqua fortis (nitric acid) – the conventional term to mean ‘etched by’. The portraits in the margin of the print are rare examples of ‘remarque’ in which a miniature sketch is added by the artist. The two ‘remarque’ bearded portraits, third and fifth from left, bear a strong resemblance to Rajon himself.
Exhibited Dundee	Exhibited at the Dundee Fine Art Exhibition, Albert Institute, 1881 (Fourth Gallery, No. 821) and marked as ‘Property of J.G. Orchar, Esq.’. Dundee Fine Art Exhibition Catalogue 1881, The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum.The Bath, after L. Alma Tadema, R.A. (No. 804 no price) and Prayer, after G. Paul Chalmers, R.S.A. (No. 827 marked as ‘Property of J.G. Orchar, Esq.) were also exhibited at the same exhibition in 1881. Rajon also exhibited two prints, The Blue Boy; after Gainsborough (No. 893 £3.0) and Watchmen, what of the Night?: after G.F. Watts, R.A. (No. 901 £5.5) in the 1882 exhibition. The etching had previously been exhibited at the Kirkcaldy Fine Art Exhibition of 1880 as Darwin, after W.W. Oules, A.R.A. and marked as ‘lent by J.G. Orchar’ (No. 710). The Illustrated Catalogue of the Ninth Annual Kirkcaldy Fine Art Exhibition of 1880. National Art Library, London.
Description	The etching is based on the portrait by Walter William Ouless RA (1848-1933) which is now in Christ’s College, the University of Cambridge. The painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1875.An catalogue (held in the National Art Library, Victoria and Albert Museum) of an exhibition of Rajon’s work at Dowdeswell and Dowdeswell’s Gallery at 133 New Bond Street, London in 1885 noted four etchings; Charles Darwin (No. 89), The Legend (No. 80), The Prayer (No. 77) and Strigels and Sponges (No.72) for sale. It seems likely that these four subjects were the most popular by Rajon and Orchar owned impressions of each from 1881 onwards. Impressions of all four etchings ‘The Legend’ after G.P. Chalmers (No. 101), ‘Strigils and Sponges’ after Alma-Tadema (No. 103), ‘Portrait of Charles Darwin’ (No. 105) and ‘Prayer’ after GP. Chalmers (No. 106) along with an impression of James Clarke Hook’s Brimming Holland (No. 126) were also exhibited at The Fine Art Society’s Galleries, 148 New Bond Street in 1880. It is possible Orchar bought all five works during this exhibition or was at least inspired to collect all four as a set after seeing the exhibition. Catalogue of an Exhibition of Etchings by Braquemond, Flameng, Seymour, Haden, Herkomer, Whistler and others. City Road, London, Virtue & Co. Ltd. 1880. Archives of the National Art Library, Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Other Collections	National Portrait Gallery, London, UK (without remarque sketches) Victoria and Albert Museum: Print Collection, London, UK (trimmed and without full remarque sketches – figure on right is lost)
References	Emmanuel Bénézit, Dictionary of Artists. Paris, Gründ, 2006 Rodney K. Engen, Dictionary of Victorian Engravers, Print Publishers and Their Works. Cambridge, Chadwyck-Heley, 1979 A. Johnson and A. Gruetzner. Dictionary of British Artists 1880-1940, Woodbridge, Antique Collectors’ Club, 1980 F.G. Stephens, Twelve Etchings Contributed to the Portfolio by Paul Adolphe Rajon. London, Seeley and Co., 1889.

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