Stefano della Bella’s etching, “Head of a man with a hat with plumes, in profile to the right”, 1650

Stefano della Bella (1610–1664)

“Head of a man with a hat with plumes, in profile to the right”, 1650, plate 10 from the series of 17 plates (including the title plate), “Diverses Têtes et Figures”, published by Israël Henriet (c1590–1661) in Paris.

Etching on fine laid paper trimmed unevenly around the platemark with a replenished upper right corner and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 8.1 x 6.7 cm.

Inscribed on plate at lower right: “Israel excud.”

State i (of i), lifetime impression (based on the quality of the line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate).

De Vesme/Massar 317(Alexandre de Vesme & Phyllis D. Massar, 1971, “Stefano della Bella. Catalogue Raisonné”, New York, Collectors Editions, [Text] p. 91, cat. no. 317, [Illust.] p. 82, cat. no. 317); Jombert (Della Bella) 168-10 (Charles Antoine Jombert 1772, “Essai d'un catalogue de l'oeuvre d'Etienne de la Belle, peintre et graveur florentin”, Paris, p. 163, cat. no. 168-10).

The British Museum and the Rijksmuseum offer descriptions of this print:

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1871-0513-179;

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.76847.

Condition: a well-printed impression, trimmed slightly unevenly around the platemark with a stains from old mounting on the two left corners and a replenished missing upper right corner, laid onto a sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this lifetime impression of a small and delicately etched head of a young man with an elaborate plumed hat with an upturned brim, for AU$233 (currently US$178.70/EUR149.73/GBP129.19 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.

If you are interested in purchasing this tiny but very beautiful etching by one of the most famous of the old master printmakers, 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

Mariano Fortuny’s etching, “Portrait of the Painter Eduardo Zamacois Seated at a Table”, 1878

Mariano Fortuny (1838–1874)

“Portrait of the Painter Eduardo Zamacois Seated at a Table” (aka “El Pintor Zamacois”), 1878, published in Vienna in 1880 by Druck der Gesellschaft für vervielfält (Society for Reproductive Art) in “Die Graphischen Künste” (The Graphic Arts).

The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers the following insight about this portrait and the sitter:

“Eduardo Zamacois y Zabala (1841–1871) was a painter of Basque ancestry who, after training in Paris, traveled to Rome in 1866 and befriended Fortuny. The inscription on this print—"A mi q. Zamacois" (to my dear Zamacois)—reflects their friendship. Recognizing Fortuny’s talent as a printmaker, Zamacois introduced him to the publisher Adolphe Goupil in Paris. Goupil offered Fortuny a contract and published all his etchings. The print was made after Fortuny’s reputation as a printmaker had been established. It is possible that he produced it as a token of his thanks to Zamacois for helping him in his career.”

(https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/660566)

Etching on cream chine collé on wove paper with wide margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 34.3 x 24.8 cm; (plate) 18.4 x 13.9 cm; (chine collé) 17.8 x 13.2 cm.

Inscribed on plate: (lower right) “A [barely visible] mi q. Zamacois/ Fortuny”.

Lettered on plate in fine German text along the lower edge: (centre) “Druck der Gesellschaft für vervielfält. K[ü]nste in Wien.”

Vives i Piqué 25 III (Rosa Vives i Piqué, 1991, “Fortuny, gravador: Estudi crític i catàleg raonat”, Associació d'Estudis Reusencs).

See also Javier Barón’s 2017, “Fortuny (1838–1874)”, Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado, p. 84.

Condition: a fine impression (as published) in pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this sensitively executed etching by one of the major Spanish artists of the 19^th century who is noted for his small broken strokes—a visual device that not only resonated with an Impressionist approach to rendering sparkling light, but also, as Philip Gilbert Hamerton reports in Joseph Pennell’s 1889, “Pen Drawing and Pen Draughtsmen”, because Fortuny saw “nothing in nature ‘that could be fairly interpreted by a long line’” (p. 28)—for the total cost of AU$347 (currently US$270.97/EUR224.69/GBP194.12 at the time of 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.

If you are interested in purchasing this exceptional portrait of the academic artist and friend, Eduardo Zamacois y Zabala, who had helped to establish Fortuny’s career and fame, 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

Jacques de Gheyn II’s engraving, “Daniel in the Lions' Den”, c1652, after Dirck Barendsz.

Jacques de Gheyn II (aka Jacob de Gheyn; Jacob de Geyn) (1565–1629)

“Daniel in the Lions' Den”, c1652, after the design by Dirck Barendsz. (aka Dirk Barentsz.; Dirk Barendsz.; Theodore Bernards Barentsz.; Theodor Amsterodamus Bernard) (1534–1592), from the series of 131 engravings (including the title plate), “Historiae Sacrae Veteris et Novi Testamenti” (aka “Royal-Size Bible”), published by Claes Jansz. Visscher (aka Nicolaes Jansz Visscher; Piscator) (1587–1652) and his son, Nicolaes Visscher I (aka Claes Claesz Visscher) (1618–1679) in Amsterdam. Note: The Curator of the British Museum advises that the publication of the series was “originally started by Claes Jansz Visscher and published by his son Nicolaes after his father's death in 1652” (see BM inv. no. 1939,0130.1.1).

Engraving on laid paper trimmed around the image borderline and the text lines, and slightly within the borderline at the upper edge, backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 27.5 x 35.7 cm.

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower left) “Theodorus Berna. Inue./ [ligature monogram] IDGeyn. Scup.”

Lettered on plate in two columns of two lines of Latin text below the image borderline: (left) “Bis funt obiectus (res mira) Leonibus. Idem/ Seruatus DANIEL tot fuit et vicibus:// Corpora bina licet danata darentur ad escam/ Quotidie. et tot oues. Turba perercit ej. [ligature letters] HiR”.

Inscribed on plate below the image borderline: (right) “[ligature monogram] CIVisscher excudit."

State ii (of ii) with the change of publisher from Joos de Bosscher to Claes Jansz. Visscher (see state i impression held by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.446392).

New Hollstein Dutch 25-2(2) (Jan Piet Filedt Kok [comp.] 2000, “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: The De Gheyn Family”, part I, Rotterdam, Rijksmuseum Sound and Vision, p. 60 [illus.], 61, cat. no. 25-2[2]).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Daniel in the Lions' Den; Daniel sitting in a rocky cave with a barred grill behind to right, one hand at his breast, looking and throwing out his other arm to left, surrounded by lions, with one sitting under his right foot; second state with address of Visscher; after Dirck Barendsz” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1939-0130-1-62).

See also the following references offered by the BM: P. van der Coelen, “Something for Everyone? The Marketing of Old Testament Prints in Holland's Golden Age”, in P. van der Coelen (ed.), “Patriarchs, angels and prophets: The Old Testament in Netherlandish Printmaking from Lucas van Leyden to Rembrandt”, exh.cat. Museum Het Rembrandthuis, Amsterdam, 1997, pp.37-61 (esp. pp.44–46); M. Leesberg, “New Hollstein: Karel van Mander”, 1999, pp. xlii–xliii and n.136; J. van der Waals, “Bijbelse Historien in prent: Nicolaes Visschers royaalbijbel”, in “Prenten in de Gouden Eeuw: van kunst tot kastpapier”, exh.cat. Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, 2006, pp.161-167 (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1939-0130-1-1).

Condition: a strong impression trimmed along the image borderline and slightly within the border at the upper edge. The sheet has a closed tear at lower centre on the publication centre-fold line, a few dot stains and there are other minor restored tears and abrasions that have been addressed by the sheet having been laid onto a sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this important engraving by Jacques de Gheyn II showing a theatrically inventive way of portraying Daniel in “his” den without an obscuring front wall—note also the angel, Habakkuk, in the sky at upper-left whose mission it is to bring Daniel food (please don’t ask me about the long bearded chap that the angel is with as it doesn’t look like a transcendent short bearded Daniel)—for the total cost of AU$639 (currently US$500.51/EUR413.47/GBP358.12 at the time of 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.

If you are interested in purchasing this masterwork of engraving, 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 

Frédéric Jacque’s etching, “La Veillée à Barbizon”, 1880

Frédéric Jacque (1859-1931)

“La Veillée à Barbizon” (The evening activities [vigil] at Barbizon), 1880, printed by G Malthe (fl.1850–1900) and published in 1891 in an edition of 550 impressions by A Ferroud and Benezit-Constant in Paris, and Harry C Dickens in London as plate 8 (of 17) to “Le livre D’Or de J.-F. Millet par un Ancien Ami”.

Note: someday soon I may be able to offer an intact copy of this publication as my records show that I have a copy bound in leather and numbered 403 in the edition of 550 with a handwritten note (untranslated). At present, however, the book is hiding somewhere on my bookshelves waiting to be discovered.

Etching with dot roulette and plate tone on watermarked cream (Hollande teinté) laid paper.

Size: (sheet) 32.6 x 22.9 cm; (plate) 20.7 x 15.4 cm; (image borderline) 19 x 14.2 cm.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “F. Jacque, inv. & sc.”; (centre) “LA VEILLÉE À BARBIZON”; (right) “G. Malthe, imp.”

Condition: a richly inked, faultless impression in near pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this Rembrandtesque masterwork of etching by Charles Jaque’s son, showing a rural house at night illuminated by the light from a window and by a lamp carried by a woman and her child about to ascend an exterior staircase, for a total cost of AU$203 (currently US$157.24/EUR130.92/GBP113.29 at the time of 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. 

If you are interested in purchasing this poetically beautiful etching executed at the height of the Etching Revival period—note the artist’s clear joy in portraying features of the scene that are in almost complete darkness—and at a time when artists were increasingly becoming fascinated by the effects of light, 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

Rodolphe Piguet’s drypoint, “A Woman with a Child Carrying a Large Parcel on a Wet Street”, c1885

Rodolphe Piguet (aka Rodolphe Piquet) (1840-1915)

“A Woman with a Child Carrying a Large Parcel on a Wet Street” (descriptive title only), c1885, signed on the plate by the artist.

Drypoint on cream laid paper trimmed along the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 10.2 x 12.8 cm.

Inscribed on plate: (lower right of centre) “R Piguet”.

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed impression, trimmed along the platemark and laid onto a support of fibred washi paper laid onto an additional sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in a good condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing, but there is a slight dustiness to the surface.

I am selling this small but exceptionally beautiful drypoint by an artist known for the technical brilliance of his drypoint prints for a total cost of AU$198 (currently US$153.38/EUR127.19/GBP109.84 at the time of 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. 

If you are interested in purchasing this tiny drypoint masterwork capturing not only the icy chill of being out on the street in inclement weather, but also the awkwardness of the young girl shown in the foreground as she “battles” with a large parcel that partly obscures her view and the height of Belle Époque fashion shown by the grand hat and fur worn by her very attractive mother, 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