Félicien Rops, The Hidden Side of a Game of Whist, 1882, Etching

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Héliogravure with manual adjustments of etching and drypoint on paper. Table from the Series "Les Diaboliques". Signed in the plate. … Read more Héliogravure with manual adjustments of etching and drypoint on paper. Table from the Series "Les Diaboliques". Signed in the plate. An exceptionally clean, velvety impression of plate III from Félicien Rops' masterfully eerie graphic suite illustrating Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly's Les Diaboliques. This specific image serves as the frontispiece/illustration for the short story of the same title, widely considered one of the most psychological and haunting narratives in the collection. The composition centers on a elegant, high-society woman dressed in a dramatic, dark evening gown with voluminous puffed sleeves, her hands held up to her face in a state of shock, prayer, or suppressed horror. Beneath the sweeping hem of her luxurious dress, a skeletal figure is partially revealed, crushed or concealed underfoot—a brilliant visual metaphor for the dark, macabre secrets hidden beneath the polite veneer of aristocratic societal rituals and games. In the dim background, Rops has faintly etched the title of the story directly into the wall, underscoring the spectral, psychological depth of the work. The print is struck on heavy wove paper with exceptionally wide, clean margins. It exhibits excellent tonal distribution, showcasing Rops' masterful control over the fine, stippled background tone and the deep, uniform black ink of the gown. Minimal and entirely stable age-toning along the outermost deckled edges of the sheet. Free of foxing, creases, or institutional stamps, representing an optimal, archival-quality copy for collectors of late 19th-century Symbolism. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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