This is a fine original pencil signed etching by Hedley Fitton (1859 - 1929)
It is from a limited edition of only 100 impressions. It is signed in pencil lower right.
Hedley Fitton was born in 1859 in Manchester, England. During the early part of his life, he worked as an editor and illustrator for The Daily Chronicle in his hometown of Manchester.
He specialized in architectural etchings and these were always full of meticulous attention to detail. The subjects are crumbling buildings, historic street scenes, and iconic buildings - his subjects are found in London, Florence, Edinburgh, and Paris.
This fine and very atmospheric etching depicts the Casino del Nobili (Casino di Noble) in Siena, Italy.
These crumbling Gothic edifices were subjects that Fitton enjoy drawing and excelled at depicting.
It is a very atmospheric image with lots of intricate detail and rich velvety drypoint. The arches are swathed in dark drypoint shadows. Fitton has added little groups of figures in the foreground to give a sense of the massive scale of the buildings beyond.
It is an exceptional impression in excellent antique condition - with no condition issues. It is still in its original frame and still nice and clean - and you can just hang it straight on your wall.
It forms a fantastic pendant with Fitton's etching of the Church at Saint Etienne in Beauvais - which is also on offer in my online shop. Both were framed at the John Mathieson's celebrated art dealer's shop in Edinburgh - and came from the collection of John Loudon. The frames are of matching wood and dimensions.
The frame size is 68 x 50 cm. The platemark is 45 x 30 cm
An impression of this etching is in the collection of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
All my Fitton drypoint etchings are in quite an exceptional condition and this is reflected in my very fair asking price for them.