Bernard Picart, “Atlas Supports the Heavens on His Shoulders”, 1731

Bernard Picart (1673–1733)

“Atlas Supports the Heavens on His Shoulders”, 1731, Plate 43 (XLIII) from the series of sixty plates, “Le Temple des Muses” (Neu-Eröfneter Musen-Tempel), pages 119–120, published in 1733 by Zacharie Chatelain (fl.1700–50) and later in 1754 in Amsterdam and Leipzig.

Etching and engraving printed from two plates on laid paper with full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 46 x 29.1 cm; (outer plate) 35.5 x 25.5 cm; (outer image borderline) 34.6 x 25 cm.

Inscribed on plate below the (inner) image borderline in four languages (French, English, German and Dutch): (left) “ATLAS PORTE LE CIEL SUR SES ÉPAULES./ Atlas supports the Heavens on his shoulders.// …./ …”.

LeBlanc 85-146 (J.Ch. Brunet & Ch. Leblanc 1854[–1889], “Manuel de l'amateur d'estampes, contenant un dictionnaire des graveurs de toutes les nations: ouvrage destiné à faire suite au Manuel du libraire”, vol. 3, Paris, p. 192, cat. nos. 85-146).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print: (Transl.) “Titan Atlas carries heaven on his back, as punishment for his part in the revolt against Jupiter. Through Perseus he is turned into a mountain range. In the margin the title in French, English, German and Dutch. The image is decorated with an ornamental border” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.302958).

All the plates (including this plate) illustrating “Le Temple des Muses” may be viewed at “Heidelberg historic literature – digitized”; see details about this plate: https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/picart1754/0177/image .

Art of the Print offers marvellous insights and technical details about this print and its publication: http://www.artoftheprint.com/artistpages/picart_bernard_atlasheavens.htm.

Condition: a strong and well-printed (near faultless) impression in a near pristine condition.

I am selling this stunningly beautiful engraving showing Atlas—a Titan from mythology—holding up the sky with the mountain range, The Atlas Mountains, of northwest Africa behind him, for AU$336 in total (currently US $218.81/EUR 204.26/GBP 175.47 at the time of posting this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) 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 museum quality engraving printed from two plates—an outer “frame” plate and the inner “image” plate—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Note that this is the second impression of this print that I have listed. The previous copy has been sold.

This print has been sold