On the reverse of the engraving and etching “Silence” by French engraver Laurent Cars (1699-1771) after the painting by Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805), a handwritten inscription was found. The only thing I found out so far was that it is in French, and that it starts with “Cette epreuve…” (“This proof…”). If anybody is able to provide a transcription, I would very appreciate it.
Click on the picture below too see a full-sized version of the inscription.
Laurent Cars after Jean-Baptise Greuze: Silence!
Oldprints 
dear Sir
I read :
“cette épreuve, quoiqu’avec le Z, est très bizarre et [semble] de la première douzaine avec le Z”
That means :
this proof, although with the Z, is very strange and [seems, I am not sure of that word] from the first dozen with the Z
Is it meaningful for you ?
Best
Philippe
Hello, thank you very much; it sounds resonable (although i don’t know what the “Z” in this context means), and it is more than i managed so far.