The antique dealer shows Raphaël the skin of shagreen (Balzac, La Peau de chagrin) - Janet-Lange
Description
In his store, the old antique dealer presented Raphaël with the skin of shagreen hanging on the wall:
"without offering you anything in gold, silver, billon, paper, bill, I want to make you richer, more powerful and more considered than a constitutional king can be.
The young man thought the old man was in infancy, and remained as if numb, without daring to reply.
- Turn around, said the merchant, suddenly seizing the lamp to direct the light onto the wall facing the portrait, and look at this CHAGRIN SKIN, he added.
The young man rose abruptly to his feet, and showed some surprise as he caught sight above the seat where he had been sitting of a piece of "chagrin" hanging on the wall, no larger than a fox skin; but by a phenomenon inexplicable at first sight, this skin projected rays so luminous within the deep darkness that reigned in the store, that you would have thought of a small comet."
- Signed under the engraving on the left "Janet Lange", on the right "Joubert S."
- Illustration (vignette) for Honoré de Balzac, La Peau de chagrin, Paris, Delloye et Lecou, 1838, p. 42.
Technical Data
Notice #024378