Pretty Girl in a Dress

This sheet, which bears both a rare print by Felicien Rops and an unpublished letter from the artist to his printer, provides intimate insight into the private, working life of an important late nineteenth-century artist and man about town. The print, originally designed as an advertisement for a publisher and later reworked as the headpiece of a menu for a private party, is one of Rops's rarest. The impression here is a proof, and the folds in the paper suggest that Rops may well have wrapped the plate itself in the sheet before sending the two to his friend. The combination provides a personal glimpse into the day-to-day life of an artist often associated with high life and cabaret. Here, he is both a working artist and a man of business.