Félicien ROPS (Namur, 1833 - Corbeil-Essonnes, 1898) Winged woman-fish or rare fish, design for the typographic mark of the Art Indépendant bookshop Pen and Indian ink over pencil lines, highlights of white gouache Monogrammed and dated 'FR 76' lower right Captioned 'NON HIC PISCIS OMNIUM' at bottom (Insolate) Woman-winged fish or rare fish, pen and Indian ink on pencil, white gouache highlights, dated, by F. Rops 14.96 x 12.4 in. 38.0 x 31.5 cm Provenance: Henri-Edmond Limet (Edmond Bailly) Collection (1850-1916) ; Collection A. Jaulme Collection in 1936; Gérard Lévy Collection; Then by descent Exhibitions: French Symbolist Painters, London, Hayward Gallery, 7 June - 23 July 1972, Liverpool, Walker Arts Gallery, 9 August - 17 September 1972, cat. no. 299: "Rare Fish", reproduced p. 137 [label on reverse]. El Simbolismo en la Pintura Francesa, Madrid, Museo Espanol de Arte Contemporeano, October - November 1972, Barcelona, Museo de Arte Moderno, December 1972, cat. no. 240: "Pez Raro", p. 105, reproduced p. 179 [label on reverse] Il Simbolismo da Moreau a Gauguin a Klimt, Ferrara, Palazzo dei Diamanti, 8 February - 20 May 2007, Roma, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, 7 June - 16 September 2007, cat. no. 92: "Pesce Raro", reproduced p. 263 [label on reverse] Divine Decadence, Gaasbeek (Belgium), Kastel van Gaasbeek, 27 March - 23 June 2016, reproduced p. 81 : "Poisson Rare". Bibliography: "Special issue devoted to Félicien Rops", La Plume, no. 172, 15 June 1896, with contributions of texts and poems by Edmond Bailly, Eugène Demolder, Henry Detouche, José-Maria de Heredia, J.-K. Huysmans, Octave Mirbeau, Joséphin Péladan, J. Pradelle, Félicien Rops, Émile Verhaeren, Philippe Zilcken, reproduced on p. 505: "Poisson rare (mark of the Edm. Bailly bookshop)". An unclassifiable Belgian artist who was a painter, draughtsman, illustrator and engraver, Félicien Rops stood out from his contemporaries through the eminently radical, incisive and often disturbing nature of his work. Published in La Plume in 1896, our striking drawing is no exception to the rule and displays a rare visual force. The winged mermaid with the unusual double tail is not a seductress with a sweet, enchanting voice. Here, she embodies a demon sure of its charms, crouching on a beach strewn with shells, waiting for its next prey. Framed in an oval medallion and accompanied by a Latin expression: Non hic piscis omnium, "this fish is not for everyone", borrowed from André-François Boureau-Deslandes' Pygmalion (1741), this evil figure was created by Félicien Rops for the Librairie de l'Art Indépendant run by Edmond Bailly. Bailly used it as the typeface for his shop at 11 rue de la Chaussée d'Antin in Paris. In addition to his publishing activities, Edmond Bailly, a singular character, also devoted himself to music and, as an active member of the Theosophical Society, had a pronounced interest in a certain occultism. Félicien ROPS (Namur, 1833 - Corbeil-Essonnes, 1898) 38.0 x 31.5 cm An unclassifiable Belgian artist who was a painter, draughtsman, illustrator and engraver, Félicien Rops stood out from his contemporaries through the eminently radical, incisive and often disturbing nature of his work. Published in La Plume in 1896, our striking drawing is no exception to the rule and displays a rare visual force. The winged mermaid with the unusual double tail is not a seductress with a sweet, enchanting voice. Here, she embodies a demon sure of its charms, crouching on a beach strewn with shells, waiting for its next prey. Framed in an oval medallion and accompanied by a Latin expression: Non hic piscis omnium, "this fish is not for everyone", borrowed from André-François Boureau-Deslandes' Pygmalion (1741), this evil figure was created by Félicien Rops for the Librairie de l'Art Indépendant run by Edmond Bailly. Bailly used it as the typeface for his shop at 11 rue de la Chaussée d'Antin in Paris. In addition to his publishing activities, Edmond Bailly, a singular character, also devoted himself to music and, as an active member of the Theosophical Society, had a pronounced interest in a certain occultism.