Fine art question: "The Lion at Home," by Rosa Bonheur

This is a question about “The Lion at Home” (or “Le Lion Chez Lui,” to give it its original French title), by Rosa Bonheur. It was painted in 1881. The original can be viewed here.

But I am interested in the engraving. This work was engraved by William Henry Simmons, and when he died doing the work, it was completed by Thomas Lewis Atkinson. The engraved print is (to the best of my recollection) dated 1883. Apologies, but I can find no online image of Simmons’ and Atkinson’s engraving.

I recently saw a print of the engraving, and was given the opportunity to acquire it. It looked to me (though I am no expert), to be an intaglio engraving. Can anybody fill in some details for me? For example, is it an intaglio engraving? How many prints were made?

I am not an art collector, but I did like this print. I’m deliberating, but I know little about fine art. If anybody could fill me in a little more about the prints of this engraving, I would appreciate it.

This one?
http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/23343
http://www.yorkgallery.co.uk/productdetails.asp?ID=228&prodname=�The%20Lion%20at%20Home�%20by%20Rosa%20Bonheur
Hard to know how many were produced/ how much it would be worth-- art market is what it is.
All real engravings are intaglio-- they can be done via metal or the end grain of wood (latter more frequent in book illustration, I think). There are also, though, later mass reproductions of engravings-- make sure that there is at least a plate mark-- indentation in the paper where the metal plate would have been.

Capybara, yes, your links indicate the correct piece of art. Apologies for not returning to this thread sooner.

There is definitely an indentation. It is an oval shape, with “I.H. Lefevre, St. James St. London” surrounding “IVV.”

Does that help you at all? Or is this a job for an expert appraiser?

IANAn appraiser, just a prints fan.
I think the thing to keep in mind when investing in this sort of thing is, do you like it? You’re not going to make a killing with it. Prints, unless they’re 16th century and earlier or by very well-known names (Dürer, Whistler, Vuillard, etc), aren’t going to go for a lot (I grabbed a decent van Dyck self-portrait for $300 or so)–if someone’s selling your Atkinson for over $500 you might check into it much more carefully-- I don’t feel like it should be a multi-thousand object. They aren’t priced in the same ballpark as paintings. Collectible by normal humans. But if it’s under $200 or $300 or so (with the frame, heh) , if you enjoy it, and aren’t buying it as a money-making venture, go for it.

Thanks! That’s about the price, with a nice oak frame; and I do like it. I’m not looking at it as an investment; it is simply a print that I rather enjoy. I’ll admit that I am interested in finding out more about it (for example, why did Simmons choose to make a print of this two years after Bonheur’s painting was completed, and what was Atkinson’s contribution?), but I can look into that at any time.

Again, thanks. Looks like I’ll have a nice addition to my wall!

Hi there, this is for SPOONS, just came across your post about the lithograph of the Lions AT home painting by Rosa Bonheur. I do believe we have the original litho. It has the original signatures of Rosa and Thomas Atkinson who did the lithograph. What would its value be? If you wish to see pictures of this, please send me an email. Cheers!