Antique W Dendy Sadler “Darby & Joan” W H Boucher Remarque Signed Re-proof #8612 For Sale

Walter Dendy Sadler – “Darby and Joan” – W. H. Boucher – Unique Remarque - Campbell Prints Re-Proof #8612

This is a particularly interesting Campbell Prints, Inc. re-proof of “Darby and Joan,” after the celebrated British artist Walter Dendy Sadler (1854–1923), with the original print engraved/etched by William Henry Boucher (1842–1906). It is signed by both Sadler and Boucher, but the unique remarque gives it a rare distinction.

The image depicts an elderly couple enjoying an intimate meal together in an elaborately furnished interior. The charming domestic subject is characteristic of Sadler’s highly regarded genre paintings, which frequently portrayed Victorian-era social and domestic life with considerable attention to costume, furnishings and atmosphere.

What makes this particular example especially interesting is the unusual marginal remarque beneath the image. The remarque depicts a lighted candle on a small tray accompanied by a candle snuffer/wick-trimmer. This is not simply part of the main image and appears to be a deliberate decorative/proof feature.

Research into Boucher’s engravings after Sadler has documented special “remarque proof” states, with surviving institutional and sale records specifically describing Boucher/Sadler impressions as “remarque proofs” and noting that some were signed by both the painter and etcher.

The lower margin is also pencil signed “W. Dendy Sadler” at left and “W. Boucher” at right, making the connection between the two artists particularly noteworthy.

The sheet bears the printed notation:

© CAMPBELL PRINTS, INC. N.Y.

RE-PROOF #8612

Campbell Prints was a major American producer and distributor of fine-art reproductions and was known for reproducing works by important European and American artists. The “Re-Proof” designation indicates that this is a Campbell reproduction/re-proof of an earlier print/proof, rather than being represented here as a newly pulled original 19th-century impression from Boucher’s plate.

About the Artists

Walter Dendy Sadler (1854–1923) was a successful British genre painter particularly known for humorous and sentimental scenes of Victorian domestic and social life. His paintings were widely reproduced as prints.

William Henry Boucher (1842–1906) was a British printmaker and engraver who produced numerous etchings after Sadler’s paintings. Boucher’s name appears prominently on contemporary impressions of Sadler’s works.

A Particularly Interesting Collector’s Detail:

The candle-and-snuffer remarque is the most unusual feature of this example. Surviving documentation confirms that Boucher produced special remarque-proof states of works after Sadler, making the presence of a deliberate marginal object an interesting feature for collectors of Victorian printmaking.

I have intentionally described this conservatively rather than calling the Campbell sheet an “original artist’s proof,” due to the Campbell Re-Proof #8612 designation. Also, it is difficult to ascertain the exact dating of the piece as the Campbell re-proof numbering does not strictly correlate with dates.

Condition & Presentation:

Please examine all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the description. The print itself is in very good vintage condition with some mild foxing at the bottom margin line. The print is presented in an attractive, gold tone frame and overall the piece measures approximately 23 inches wide by 19 inches tall.

This piece would make an interesting addition to a collection of Victorian art, British genre prints, Walter Dendy Sadler, William H. Boucher, antique prints, or remarque prints as it is a distinctive and historically interesting Sadler/Boucher image, with the added appeal of the unusual candle-and-snuffer remarque and Campbell “Re-Proof #8612” designation.