Pierre Brebiette's freize-like etchings, c1638

Pierre Brebiette (1598?–1642)

(upper plate)

“Triumph celebration by marine deities” (descriptive title only), c1638

Etching on fine laid paper

Size: (sheet) 8 x 18.7 cm; (plate) 6.2 x 16.8 cm; (image borderline) 5.7 x 16 cm

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower left of centre on wave) “P. Brebiette”

Inscribed on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Aug. Quesnel excud”

(lower plate)

“Bacchanal of satyrs, putti and water nymphs” (descriptive title only), c1638

Etching on fine laid paper

Size: (sheet) 7.8 x 18.4 cm; (plate) 5.9 x 16.6 cm; (image borderline) 5.2 x 15.8 cm

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower left of centre) “P. Brebiette fecit”

Inscribed on plate below the image borderline (left) “Cum Priuilegio Regis. rue Betizi au Chesne d'Or”; (right) “August Quesnel excud. In viuco Betizizno.”

________

Both prints are from the series, “Twelve frieze-like designs showing bacchanals, sacrifices, and dances”, published by Augustin Quesnel (fl.1639–1644)  (as inscribed on the lower plate) in 1638 (attribution date is based on documentation that Quesnel published an edition of 75 of Brebiette’s etchings in 1638).

The Curator of the British Museum offers the following insight into the IFF’s (Inventaire du Fonds Français: Bibliothèque Nationale, Département des Estampes, Paris) cataloguing of Brebiette’s frieze-like compositions:

“Brebiette etched a large number of frieze-like compositions; the IFF catalogue tries to group them together into 'sets' according to the subject or the dimensions (see Nos. 107 to 170), but this is an arbitrary cataloguing and it is unlikely that the plates were actually meant to be grouped together like this.” (BM No. 1854,0614.473)

Condition: both prints are richly inked and well-printed impressions (most probably lifetime impressions based on the crisp quality of the lines showing no sign of wear to the plates) in excellent condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains beyond a few spots or foxing) and are laid onto support sheets of archival (millennium quality) washi paper

I am selling this pair of etchings from the early 1600s, exemplifying the interest in the time with mythological subjects underpinned with eroticism, for the total cost of AU$422 for the pair (currently US$305.97/EUR268.43/GBP239.46 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing these small but visually engaging and very beautiful etchings, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This pair of prints has been sold