Pieter van Laer (aka Pieter
Bodding van Laer; Pieter Bodding; Pieter van Laar; Peter de Laer; Bentnaam; Bamboots;
Bamboccio [nickname meaning “clumsy doll”]; Bamboche) (1599–1642?)
“Horse Drinking”
(aka “Le Cheval Buvant”; “Drinkend Paard”), c.1630 (1620–1642), plate 2 from a
series of six numbered etchings (Hollstein 9–14), “Horses” (aka “Paarden”).
Etching on laid paper, trimmed irregularly around the platemark with thread margins and backed with a support sheet.
Size: (irregular sheet) 8.6 x 10.2 cm.
Lettered in plate: (upper left) “P.D.L. fe. 2”.
State ii (of ii) with the corners of the plate rounded.
TIB 1.10 (Leonard J Slatkes [ed.] 1978,
“The Illustrated Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists”, New York, Abaris Books, p. 9,
cat. no. 10); Hollstein 10 (F W H Hollstein 1953, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings
and Woodcuts ca. 1450–1700: L'Admiral – Lucas van Leyden”, vol. 10, Amsterdam, Menno
Hertzberger, p. 6, cat .no. 10).
The British Museum offers the following description of
this print: “Plate 2: A horse drinking from a fountain, standing in profile to
right and drinking from the stone basin at right as a male figure looks on;
second state with rounded plate-corners; from a series of six etchings” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_Sheepshanks-492).
See also the description of this print offered by the
Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.134776.
Condition: a strong impression that is possibly a
lifetime/early impression (based on the quality of line showing no sign of wear
to the printing plate), trimmed around to the platemark and laid onto a sheet
of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in an excellent
condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains.
I am selling this remarkably bold etching capturing the
intense light falling on the scene with a freshness and breath that was “critical
for the development of realism in seventeenth-century Dutch etching” (see Clifford
S Ackley’s 1981, “Printmaking in the Age of Rembrandt”, exh. cat. Museum of
Fine Arts Boston, p. 122), for the total cost of AU$274 (currently US$183.24/EUR165.28/GBP139.47
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. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$274)
as this is my currency.
If you are interested in purchasing this seemingly
simple but historically significant etching, please contact me
(oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make
the payment easy.
