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

Monday, 20 April 2026

Nicolas Chaperon, “God Appears to Moses in a Pillar of Smoke”, 1649

Nicolas Chaperon (aka Nicolas Chapron) (1612–1654/5)

“God Appears to Moses in a Pillar of Smoke”, 1649

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on laid paper with a small margin around the platemark, professionally supported on tissue-thin archival (Kozo) washi paper. This print is plate 35 from the series of 54 plates (including title and dedication plates) titled “Raphael Bible” (also known as “Sacrae Historiae Acta a Raphael Urbin in Vaticanis xystis ad picturae miraculum expressa”), after Raphael’s (Raffaello Sanzio; Raffaello Santi) (1483–1520) frescoes in the Logge di Raffaello of the Vatican. It was published in Paris by Pierre Mariette I (c. 1603–1657) from the first Parisian edition. This impression is from state iii (of iv), prior to the addition of the royal privilege note, “cum privilegio regis,” of the second edition.

The impression is richly inked, crisp, and well-printed. There is a stain on the lower edge at the centre; otherwise, the sheet is in good condition with no tears, holes, or folds.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 26.1 x 28.9 cm
• Platemark: 24.8 x 26.5 cm
• Image borderline: 23.4 x 26.1 cm

In-Plate Lettering (below the image borderline):

• Left: “R.V.I.”

(Raphaelis. Urbinatis. Inventor.)
• Centre: “Descendebat nubis Columua [sic], et loquebatur Dns [Dominus]. cum Moyse, stabantq. / uniuersi, et adorabant perfores tabernaculor suorum. Exod. XXXIII.”

(A cloud-like pillar descended, and God spoke with Moses, and all stood and worshipped at the entrances of their tents. Exodus XXXIII.)
• Right: “N. C. F. / Typis P. Mariette Via Jacobea Sub insigne spei. 35”

(Nicolas Chaperon Fecit [made it] / printed by Pierre Mariette at Via Jacobea [Rue Saint-Jacques] at the shop, “The Sign of Hope” [L'Espérance], plate 35)

References

• IFF 35 (IFF 35 (Roger-Armand Weigert, Inventaire du Fonds Français Graveurs du XVIIe Sièle, vol. 2, 1951, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Département des Estampes, p. 270, cat. no. 35). See: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5488514d/f282
• Robert-Dumesnil 37-3(4) (Robert-Dumesnil, Le Peintre-Graveur Français, 1842, Paris, vol. 6, p. 226, cat. no. 37). See: https://archive.org/details/bnf-bpt6k65576943/page/n245/mode/2up)
• Rijksmuseum: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200170532

Price & Shipping:

AU$298 (approximately US$213.06 / €181.25 / £157.91), including worldwide express shipping. Please note that import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a smooth and safe transaction.

This print has been sold