Prints and Principles

Most of the recent posts give details about individual prints and earlier posts discuss some of the subtle principles guiding artists in making images meaningful and memorable. For prints that are unsold, click "Items still available for sale" below. All other prints are no longer available. My contact email is oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com and my Instagram username is @printsandprinciples. I have created a separate blog to show my own work: https://printsandprinciplesjamesbrown.blogspot.com

Thursday, 4 September 2025

Adriaen Collaert, “Old Age Under the Influence of Saturn”, 1581, after Maarten de Vos

Adriaen Collaert (c.1560–1618)

“Old Age Under the Influence of Saturn” (aka “Saturn”; “Hoge ouderdom onder invloed van Saturnus”), 1581, plate 7 following the title plate to the series of eight engravings (including the title plate), “Septem Planetæ” (aka “The Seven Planets and Seven Ages”; “De zeven planeten en zeven leeftijden”; “Septem planetae, septem hominis”), showing the power of the seven planets over the seven ages of man (see Rijksmuseum inv. no. RP-P-1925-74) after the design by Maarten de Vos (aka Maarten de Vos; Maerten de Vos) (1532–1603), published in Amsterdam by Gerard de Jode (aka Geeraert/Geerart/Gerardo/Gheerde/Gheraerde/Girard de Jode) (1516/17–1591).

Engraving on laid paper with full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 36.4 x 25.2cm; (plate) 30.7 x 21.2cm; (image borderline) 29.2 x 20.9cm.

Lettered in plate within the image borderline: (lower left) “CONSCIENTIA”; (upper left-of-centre) “SATVTNVS”.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (centre) “Extrema premitur MENS CONSCIA Sæpe Senecta/ Quas SATVRNE moues Ultime Falce tua” (The extreme CONSCIOUS MIND is often oppressed by old age, which SATURN moves with your last scythe); (right) “7”.

Hollstein 1372; New Hollstein 341 (see British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1862-0712-327).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print: (transl.) “In the sky floats the planetary god Saturn, a scythe and a baby in his hand. In the foreground is the personification of Conscientia, the conscience. She carries various (holy) books and points admonishingly to the heavens. An old man beside her carries a well-filled pouch but is surrounded by symbols representing the transience of life: glasses, an hourglass, a smoky fire. In the background is the portal of a church, where people distribute alms to beggars. The print has a Latin caption and is part of a seven-part series about the power of the seven planets over the seven ages of humanity.” (https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200175207).

Condition: a well-printed slightly silvery impression with full margins as published. Beyond chips and a broken upper edge of the margin, the sheet is in a good condition with no holes or significant stains.

I'm offering this rare engraving completed just 17 years after Michelangelo’s final works. Priced at AU$336 (approximately US$219.94, EUR 188.53, or GBP 163.61), this price includes worldwide express postage and handling. Please note that any applicable import duties or taxes imposed by the destination country are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you're interested in owning this striking, symbolism-rich engraving—featuring vanitas motifs such as the hourglass, spectacles resting on the hourglass, a fallen carafe, and a smoking portable brazier—along with the theme of old age depicted by an old man with crossed legs, a walking cane, and a bag of money—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly send you a PayPal invoice for an easy and secure purchase.

Note that currently there are no mail services from Australia to the USA. Consequently, at the moment I am unable to accept purchases needing shipping to the United States.

This print has been sold