Description
Etching on imperial Japan paper, inscribed ‘Épreuve d’artiste’ — the smaller version of the print Rensburg made in 1913 for the open-air production of King Oedipus by Het Tooneel in Park Sonsbeek. Where the large print appeared in an edition of only a few impressions, this version was intended for the circle of company members: the edition ran to some three hundred impressions.
The plate likewise carries the inscription DEL AD VIV — drawn from life. An épreuve d’artiste is an impression outside the numbered edition, traditionally reserved for the artist; the designation on this example underlines the artisanal character of Rensburg’s printing practice, which he conducted in his own studio.
Provenance: documented through the specialist antiquarian Fokas Holthuis, newsletter 976, no. 36 (gallery documentation).



