Master of the Die’s engraving, “Cybele Driving a Chariot Drawn by Lions”, c1545, after Baldassare Peruzzi

Master of the Die (aka Master B with the Die (fl.1530–1560)—purported by the “Benezit Dictionary of Artists” (2005) to be Bernardo Daddi (1512–1570); the British Museum proposed that the artist may be Tommaso Vincidor (c1493–1534/6) (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG37609)

“Cybele in Her Chariot” (aka “Cybele Driving a Chariot Drawn by Lions”), c1545 (1530–1560), after the design by Baldassare Peruzzi (aka Baldassare Siena) (1481–1536) (see a preliminary drawing by Peruzzi held by the British Museum [1880,0508.82]), published in Rome by Antonio Salamanca (1478–1562). “The Illustrated Bartsch” (vol. 29, p. 175) advises that this print was originally described as being after Giulio Romano (aka Giulio Giannuzzi; Giulio Pippi) (c1499–1546) (TIB, vol. 29, p. 175).

Interestingly, I understand from an extract from Pouncey & Gere (1962) offered by the British Museum (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1880-0508-82) that the Baldassare Peruzzi’s design resembles an antique relief in the Villa Albani, the Altar of Scipio Orfitus, but the figure on the chariot (a personification of the earth mother?) in this relief carries neither a pinecone—not a pineapple as I read in one description of this print! —nor does she rest her foot on an armillary sphere marked with zodiac symbols. Following on from this insight, Frommel & Gere (1962) advise (as cited by the Curator of the BM) that “…as part of the celebrations in 1513 of the granting of Roman citizenship to Giuliano and Lorenzo de' Medici, a float was made with a representation of Cybele/Roma on a carriage drawn by lions, of which the description matches in detail the present drawing” (BM op. cit.).

Engraving on laid paper trimmed around the image borderline and text, lightly gridded with pencil lines (in preparation for copying?) with restoration of the corners on the left side and backed with a support sheet providing wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 24.9 x 18.3 cm.

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline: (lower right corner) [monogram of the artist showing the letter “B” on a die]/ ANT. SAL. EXC.”

Lettered in plate below the image borderline in two columns of four lines of Italian: “Mentr’l tuo Padre in quella, en questa parte/ Seguisti o’ Roma, e mentre i membri uniti/ Tenesti del tuo corpo, ognun di Marte/ T’aueua per figlia e trionfando i siti// Tuoi d’abbondantia empish, e’ tal fu larte/ Che’ ne trabocco’ l teuere ei sue liti:/ Gran segni ancor nel uentre tuo si uede/ Che gia tenesh, I mondo sotto, I pede”.

State ii (of ii) with the addition of publication details for Antonio Salamanca.

TIB 29.18 (Suzanne Boorsch [ed.] 1982, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Masters of the Sixteenth Century”, vol. 29, Abaris Books, New York, p.175, cat. no. 18-II); Bartsch 18 (Adam Bartsch 1803, “Le Peintre Graveur”, vol. 15, Vienna, p. 195, cat. no. 18).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “Cybele at left riding her chariot being drawn by two lions to the right, her left foot rests on a globe, nestling in her chariot are an [echidna], rabbit, eagle etc” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_V-6-65).

See also a description of this print offered by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.219619.

Condition: a very strong early impression, trimmed around the image borderline and laid onto a sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The upper and lower left corners are replenished and the print has been gridded with pencil(?) lines to possibly copy the image. Beyond these issues the sheet is in a good condition with no significant stains.

I am selling this magnificent engraving of great rarity by the 16th century printmaker whose work is signed with a symbol of a dice—hence the artist’s descriptive title, “Master of the Die”—for AU$438 (currently US$292.76/EUR264.89/GBP233.18 at the time of posting 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 superb print from the Renaissance era exemplifying the interest at the time for classical mythology, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold 

Marcantonio Raimondi's engraving, “The Lion Hunt”, c1519

Marcantonio Raimondi (1470/1482–1527/1534)

“The Lion Hunt”, c1519 (1510–27), published by Antonio Salamanca (1478–1562), after Baldassare Peruzzi (aka Baldassare Siena) (1481–1536), after a bas-relief on an ancient sarcophagus.

The curator of the British Museum offers the following insights about the designs that this engraving references:

“After Peruzzi's drawing now at Chatsworth inspired by an antique sarcophagus with scenes of a lion hunt now part of the decoration of the Casino Rospigliosi in Rome and according to Vasari, was located in the sixteenth century in the atrium of Old St. Peters” (BM no. H,3.480).

Engraving on laid paper trimmed within the image borderline (largely on the left and with loss of the lettered text below the image borderline) with numerous restorations and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 23.1 x 35.1 cm

TIB 27(14).422(317) (Konrad Oberhuber [ed.] 1978, “The Illustrated Bartsch: The Works of Marcantonio Raimondi and of His School”, vol. 27, New York, Abaris Books, p. 110); Bober & Rubinstein 1987 199a; Delaborde 1888 222.193; Le Blanc 1854-89 266; Passavant 1860-64 VI.39.247; Bartsch XIV.317.422

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“A lion hunt with nine male and female armed figures, two of which are on horseback; a fallen stag at centre and a small dog at right”

https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1437619&partId=1&searchText=lion+hunt&page=1

See also the description offered by the Rijksmuseum:

(Google transl.) “Soldiers or hunters on horseback and save on foot for attack of lions. A deer is killed and lies at the feet of a woman dressed in armour. Below the performance is a Latin inscription that refers to the origin of this performance.”

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.345630

Condition: crisp impression but in poor condition with many restorations. The sheet has been trimmed significantly on the right side and within the borderline on the other sides with loss of the lettered text and has been laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper.

I am selling this exceptionally rare but very damaged (now restored) engraving executed within a few years of Leonardo completing his “Mona Lisa” (La Gioconda) and well before Michelangelo even started on his “Last Judgement”, for AU$487 (currently US$347.24/EUR306.68/GBP265.69 at the time of posting 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 masterwork by Raimondi that is seldom seen on the art market, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold

Master of the Die’s engraving, “Envy Driven from the Temple of the Muses”, c1530

Master of the Die (fl.1522-33) (purported by the “Benezit Dictionary of Artists” [2005] to be Bernardo Daddi [fl.c.1530–60], but the BM also argues that the artist may be Tommaso Vincidor [1493–1536])

“Envy Driven from the Temple of the Muses” (TIB title), c1530 (1530–2), after Baldassare Peruzzi (1481–1536) after a woodcut by Ugo da Carpi (1486–1532), published by Philippe Thomassin (1562–1622).

Engraving on laid paper trimmed near the platemark with thread margins.

Size: (sheet) 25.5 x 18.3 cm

Inscribed within the image borderline: (lower left) “Baltazar Perutius Senen. Inuetor”; (right) the artist’s monogram 'B' on a dice

Lettered below the image borderline in two columns of four lines of Latin descriptive text: Quella che'l secol ... batte e’,  scopiglia”; (lower edge at centre) “Phts Thornassinus exc.”

State ii? (of ii?) Note that this impression with Thomassin’s name shown as the publisher is described by Bartsch (XV.195.17). The curator of the BM advises that this is a later state with the address of Lafreri as publisher erased and replaced with “Baltazar Perutius Senen. Inuetor” (see BM no. V,6.67). The impressions reproduced in TIB (29.17) and the BM (no. V,6.67) with the address of Lafreri are not mentioned by Bartsch.

TIB 29 (15). 17(195) (Suzanne Boorsch [Ed.] 1982, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Masters of the Sixteenth Century”, vol. 29, Abaris Books, New York, p.174); Bartsch XV.195.17 (Adam Bartsch 1803, “Le Peintre graveur”, vol. 15, Vienna)

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Envy (or Avarice) at the right being driven from the temple of the Muses by Hercules who raises a club in his right hand while the Muses look on”

(http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1468446&partId=1&searchText=Quella+che%27l+secol&page=1)

Condition: richly inked and well-printed impression trimmed with thread margins. The sheet shows age toning but is in excellent condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, abrasions, stains or foxing).

I am selling this engraving of the utmost rarity by the 16th century printmaker whose work is signed with a symbol of a dice—hence the artist’s descriptive title, “Master of the Die”—for AU$400 (currently US$303.86/EUR258.07/GBP230.28 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this superb print from the Renaissance era created in collaboration with Ugo da Carpi—falsely claimed to be the first printmaker to employ multi-plate (chiaroscuro) woodcut prints—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold

The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers the perfect explanation of what this print illustrates:

“... Hercules, symbolizing virtuous strength, drives away Avarice—a woman holding a hoard of precious objects—from the temple of the arts. The traditional protectors of artistic pursuits, Apollo and Minerva, look on with satisfaction, surrounded by the Muses. The nine muses, of which eight are visible here, were also associated with learning, particularly with poetic inspiration. The message is that avarice undermines the cultivation of the arts.”

(https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/337700)

The Met also advises:

“The drawings of Peruzzi were often engraved by the Master of the Die. In this case, he collaborated with Ugo da Carpi. Ugo da Carpi was an important early practitioner of the multiblock colored woodcut, a technique known as chiaroscuro (literally, 'light-dark'), which he falsely claimed to have invented.” (ibid)

What I love about this image is the mask-holding muse in the right foreground who unambiguously looks at me/the viewer. The psychological shock of being drawn into the portrayed scene by this lady’s meaningful gaze turns me into an active participant in the scene rather than a passive observer. This fascinating and rare use of such a visual device to provoke a reflexive response is marvellous.