Adam Bartsch’s etching, “Four oxen in a stream, in the background a shepherd in front of a ruin”, 1806, after Willem Romeyn

Adam Bartsch (aka Johann Adam Bartsch; Adam von Bartsch; Johann Adam Bernhard Ritter von Bartsch) (1757–1821)

“Four oxen in a stream, in the background a shepherd in front of a ruin” (aka “Vier ossen in een beek, in de achtergrond een herder voor een ruïne” [Rijksmuseum title]), 1806, after Willem Romeyn (c.1624–1694)—a Haarlem painter influenced by his teacher, Nicolaes Berchem (1621/2–1683). This is an impression is before the addition of the publisher’s address for Johann Friedrich Frauenholz (1758–1822) in Nuremberg (see http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.75442); nevertheless the sheet is blindstamped on the lower-right corner within the platemark with the Johann Friedrich Brauenholz’s seal (Lugt 174) as the  publisher of this impression.

The Gemäldegalerie (Staatliche Museen, Berlin), holds a related drawing by Willem Romeyn dated 1695, “Italian landscape with a cowherd, in the background the ruins of the temple of Vespasian in the Roman Forum in Rome” (inv./cat. no. Z 13678; cat. Bock-Rosenberg 1930, p. 249): https://rkd.nl/nl/explore/images/16632.

Note that in the description of a related painting by Willem Romeyn offered by Sotheby’s Auctions (September 20, 1019) advises: “… the columns in the background of this painting [and this etching] are a frequently recurring motif in the painting of the Bamboccianti: they formed part of the portico to the Temple of Vespasian in the Forum at Rome. They are seen partly buried in this picture; they remained so until their excavation in 1813” (see https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2019/old-masters-online-part-i-property-from-the-soer-rusche-collection-part-ii-property-from-various-owners/willem-romeyn-cattle-and-sheep-with-peasants-and

Etching on laid paper with small margins, blindstamped at lower right with the mark of the publisher (Johann Friedrich Brauenholz [Lugt 174]).

Size: (sheet) 29 x 22.4 cm; (plate) 26.9 x 20.1 cm; (image borderline) 23.7 x 19.3 cm.

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline: (lower left) “WROMEYN.”

Inscribed in plate below the image borderline: (right) “A. Bartsch sc. 1806.”

State ii [Rieger] (of iii) before the addition of the publisher’s address.

Rieger 404 (Rudolf Rieger 2014, “Adam von Bartsch (1757-1821): Leben und Werk des Wiener Kunsthistorikers und Kupferstechers unter besonderer Berücksichtigung seiner Reproduktionsgraphik nach Handzeichnungen …”, vol. 2, Petersberg, Michael Imhof Verlag, p. 300, cat. no. 404); Bartsch 187 (Frédérique de Bartsch 1818, “Catalogue des estampes de J. Adam Bartsch”, Vienna, p. 81, cat. no. 187).

The V&A offer the following description of this print: “Four horned cattle in a stream, the cow in the centre of the composition looking out toward the viewer. In the near-distance behind them, a man lies on his side against an earth bank turned away from the viewer, with a dog by his side. The background shows some decorative ruinous pillars and in the distance to the left of the picture a figure with two sheep can be seen” (https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O938954/print-bartsch-adam-von/).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression with minor marks towards the top edge; otherwise, the sheet is in a very good condition with no tears, holes, folds, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this finely executed etching by one of the most famous of all catalogue writers documenting early prints—Wikipedia describes Bartsch’s catalogue of old master prints, “Le Peintre Graveur” as “the foundation of print history” and the updated version of his catalogue, abbreviated as “TIB”, for “The Illustrated Bartsch”, is still my first point of call when researching prints—for the total cost of AU$268 (currently US$179.13/EUR162.08/GBP142.67 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 this interesting bucolic scene—a true scene of fantasy curiously featuring a section of the ruined temple of Vespasian from the Roman Forum in Rome that was fully excavated only seven years after this etching was completed—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Johann Christoph Erhard’s etching, “The Russian Infantryman”, 1815

Johann Christoph Erhard (1795–1822)

“The Russian Infantryman” (aka “Kaisel Russ Infanterist”; “Der Russische Infanterist”), 1815, published in Nuremberg by Johann Friedrich Frauenholz (1758–1822).

Etching with plate tone printed in a warm black ink on buff coloured laid paper with full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 28 x 22 cm; (plate) 13.5 x 5.7 cm.

Inscribed in plate at lower edge: “Kaisel Russ. Infanterist/ [artist’s monogram] Erha[rd fec]/ [1815.]”

State iii (of iii) with reduction in the height of the plate.

Apell 182.III (Aloys Apell 1866, “Das werk von Johann Christoph Erhard, maler und radirer ... mit einer biographie und dem bildness des künstlers”, Dresden, Apell, pp. 103–4, cat. no. 182, state III; see https://archive.org/details/daswerkvonjohann00apel/page/102/mode/2up).

See also the description of this print (state ii) offered by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.108443.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression with generously wide margins in near pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this historically important etching showing the issued military supplies for Russian infantryman (my apologies if there are more precise terms for the operational gear supplied to servicemen)—viz. long coat, flat cap, knapsack, ammunition pouch, rifle with bayonet and sabre— for AU$288 in total (currently US$153.32/EUR174.17/GBP153.32 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 this marvellously insightful portrayal of a cold Russian soldier—my eyes are drawn to the nervous energy contained in the man’s fingers peeping out of the long cuffs of his heavy coarse coat and how their slight animation links in with the spring of his moustache and squinting eyes … and I must mention the genuineness of how the weight of the man as he leans on his gun is captured by the single finger as it steadies him on the gun barrel—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

(2nd Copy) Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietricy’s etching, “The Small Waterfalls at Tivoli”, 1744

NOTE THAT THIS IS A SECOND COPY OF THE SAME PRINT THAT HAS BEEN LISTED BEFORE (the previous impression has been sold)

Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietricy (aka Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich) (1712–74)

“The Small Waterfalls at Tivoli” (“Die kleinen Wasserfälle bei Tivoli”, Link title); “Arcadian landscape with waterfall” (“Arcadisch landschap met waterval”, Rijksmuseum title), 1744, published by Johann Friedrich Frauenholz (aka Jean Frederic Frauenholz) (1758–1822)  in Nuremberg.

Etching on laid paper with small margins around the plate mark, backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 10.1 x 15.9 cm; (plate) 9.1 x 15 cm

Signed and dated in the plate at upper right: “Dietricy 1744”.

State iii (of iii) with the Zingg number, “45”, erased from the upper-left corner.

Linck 153-III (III) (JF Linck 1846, “'Monographie der von C. W. E. Dietrich radierten, geschabten und in Holz geschnittenen malerischen Vorstellungen”, Berlin, pp. 251–52, cat.nr. 153); see also the description of this print held by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.105713.

Condition: richly inked impression with small margins and backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The upper left corner margin is restored otherwise the sheet is in a good condition with minor signs of age toning and handling.

I am selling this small but exquisitely rendered etching of the waterfalls and cascades at Tivoli (Italy) for the total cost of AU$267 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this remarkable nature study showing the effect of raking light on foliage, rocks and water, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Dietricy was a bit of an artistic chameleon in the sense that he had the gift to mimic other artists’ styles. This ability, however, did not mean that his approach to image making was rinsed clean of showing personal stylistic traits. For example, this very beautiful nature study of the waterfalls and cascades at Tivoli is a fine example of his very insightful and somewhat unique approach to portraying spatial depth.

In one sense, Dietricy uses the traditional approach for showing spatial depth by making the foreground waterfalls slightly darker than those further away and employs an increasing amount of white space around each line to suggest an even greater lightening of tone into the far distance. There is, however, another device that Dietricy employs to portray depth and this, I see, as being his personal stylistic hallmark: Dietricy uses a transition from comparatively small, multi-directional cross-hatched strokes to render forms in the foreground to parallel aligned strokes in the middle distance and finally to almost horizontal strokes designed to portray distant mountains and sky.