Valentin Lefebre's etching, “Landscape with Flute Playing Shepherd”, 1682

Valentin Lefebre (aka Valentin Le Fevre; Valentin Le Febre; Valentin Lefebure; Valentin Lefèvre) (1637–1677 [dates attributed by the British Museum and Ruggeri, but there is discrepancy in these dates attributed by other museums such as the MET and NGV who propose c1642–1680/2])

 “Landscape with Flute Playing Shepherd” (Rijksmuseum title), 1682 [date of publication], after the drawing of the same subject by Titian (1489/90–1576) held by the Albertina in Vienna (Inv. no.1477), from the series of 53 etchings after Titian and Veronese (Ruggeri I.1-53; Hollstein X,1-53), “Opera Selectiora” (aka “Opera selectiora quae Titianus Vecellius Cadubriensis et Paulus Calliari Veronensis inventarunt ac pinxerunt”), published in the 1682 edition by Jacobus van Campen (fl.1682) in Venice. (Note: later editions published in 1786 and 1789 are inscribed with the address of the Italian printmaker and publisher, Teodoro Viero [1740–1819].)

Etching on laid paper trimmed along the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 31.2 x 44 cm.

Inscribed on plate along the lower edge: (left) "V. lefebre del. et sculp."; (left of centre) "Titian in."; (right of centre) "J. van Campen Formis Venetÿs.".

State i (of ii) before the address of Teodoro Viero.

Ruggeri 2001 I.27 (Ugo Ruggeri 2001, “Valentin Lefèvre: dipinti, disegni, incisioni”, Merigo Art Books, Manerba, p. 219, cat. no. I. 27); Villot 27 (Frédéric Villot 1844, "Valentin Lefebre, peintre et graveur à l'eau-forte", in "Le Cabinet de l'amateur et de l'antiquaire", vol. 3, p. 188, cat. no. 27); Hollstein Dutch 1-53 (F W H Hollstein 1949, “Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts c.1450-1700”, Amsterdam).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print:

(transl.) “Watery landscape with shepherds driving their herd of sheep towards a pool of water. In the left foreground a shepherd plays the flute. The print is part of a 53-part series of prints based on paintings by Titian and Veronese.”

(http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.323110)

See also the description of this print at the British Museum:

“Landscape with shepherds leading a flock of sheep towards a river at centre, a city at the edge of a lake in right background; after Titian.”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3087645&partId=1&searchText=Valentin+Lefebre+&page=1)

Condition: crisp and well-printed early impression with a few faint spots, a flattened centrefold, minor nicks and tears to the edges appropriate to the considerable age of the print, otherwise in an excellent condition. The print is backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this large masterpiece of etching that seems to shimmer with light, for [deleted] at the time of posting 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 this extraordinary interpretation of a landscape by Titian, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold