Charles Jacque, “Portrait of Jules-Joseph Guiffrey”, 1866

Charles Jacque (also known as Charles Émile Jacque) (1813–1894)

“Portrait of Jules-Joseph Guiffrey” (or, as titled by Henri Beraldi, “Portrait de M. Guiffrey”), 1866

Historical Context & Significance:

This rare and powerful portrait captures the young Jules-Joseph Guiffrey (1840–1918), a brilliant archivist, art historian, and future director of the Manufacture des Gobelins. In 1866, Guiffrey published the definitive catalogue raisonné of Charles Jacque's graphic works. To commemorate the achievement, Jacque etched this striking portrait to serve as a frontispiece.

Because it was completed alongside the book's publication, it was omitted from Guiffrey's initial self-compiled checklist. Its rarity was later recognised by legendary print scholar Henri Beraldi, who designated it as the introductory piece (Cat. No. 421) in his 1889 supplemental catalogue extension.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with plate tone on heavy laid Hallines paper. This is an early proof impression before lettering with exceptionally wide margins. In the later lettered state of this print, the name of Auguste Delâtre (1822–1907) is inscribed as the printer (see Rijksmuseum Object Number RP-P-1898-A-20875 for a description of the lettered state).

This is a strong and faultless (museum quality) impression in a near pristine condition—free of tears, holes, folds, significant stains, or handling marks.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 47.7 x 30.5 cm
• Platemark: 14.2 x 10.3 cm
• Image borderline: 8.9 x 7 cm

In-Plate lettering:

• Upper-right corner: “Ch. J.”
• Lower-left corner: “1866”

References:

• Beraldi 421 (Henri Beraldi, “Les Graveurs du Dix-Neuvième Siècle: GUÉRIN–LACOSTE,” vol. VIII, 1889, Paris, Librairie L. Conquet, p. 180, cat. no. 421)
• IFF 316 (Jean Adhémar & Jacques Lethève, “Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800: HUMBLOT–JYG,” vol. 11, 1960, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, p. 116, cat. no. 316) — Available via Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Gallica): https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5489301d/f128.item
• Rijksmuseum: Object Number RP-P-1898-A-20875 — https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200208580

Price & Shipping:

AU$274 (approximately US$196.58 / €168.34 / £144.04, subject to daily exchange rates). Price includes worldwide express shipping. Please note that destination import duties and local taxes remain the sole responsibility of the buyer.

If you’re interested in acquiring this rare portrait of the author of the seminal catalogue of Jacque’s prints—surprisingly, the British Museum does not hold a copy of this historically important print in its online repository—please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

Caspar Merian, “Gratianopolis. Grenoble”, published 1663

Caspar Merian (1627–1686)

“Gratianopolis. Grenoble” — The Panoramic City View, published 1663

Note that “Gratianopolis” shown in the title banner is the ancient Roman name for modern Grenoble, France.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with engraving on fine laid paper, trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline with the vertical division of publication professionally stabilised and backed with a supportive, archival-quality sheet of Japanese washi paper.

This is an historically important 17th-century view of the French city of Grenoble, offering the primary panorama from the original folio page, clean-trimmed away from the lower architectural insets. The image is inscribed with a numbered legend at lower-centre composed by Martin Zeiller (1589-1661) identifying key buildings and sites within the city and locations in the surrounding landscape. It was printed by Jacob van Meurs (active circa 1651–80) and published in Amsterdam in the first Dutch-language edition (1663) by the widow of Joost Broersz and Caspar Merian as an illustration to the final volume of the four-volume atlas: “Topographia Galliae dat is eene algemeene en bysondere naukeurige lant en plaets beschrivinge, vant machtige Koninckrijck Vranckrijck ... Amsterdam: By de Weduw van Ioost Broersz en Casper Meriaen, 1660-1663” (translation: “Topographia Galliae that is a general and particular accurate description of the land and place of the mighty Kingdom of France ... Amsterdam : By the Widow of Ioost Broersz and Casper Meriaen, 1660-1663”).

The impression is strong, crisp, and evenly printed, but showing minor signs of wear to the printing plate and with a fine printer’s crease at left. The sheet is in excellent condition for its wide dimension and considerable age, remaining free of tears, holes, or stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 13.2 x 47.6 cm
• Inner image borderline: 12 x 46.7 cm

In-Plate lettering:

• Upper centre: “GRATIANOPOLIS. GRENOBLE.”
• Lower centre: legend of numbered locations in the image 1–14 “1. Porte de France. … 14.la Riuiere d’Isere.”

References:

• David Rumsey Art Collection: a marvellous detailed description of this print and the associated plates— https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~312966~90082078:V--4--Gratianopolis--Grenoble (see also via Archive.org— https://archive.org/details/dr_gratianopolis-grenoble-insets-perspective-dune-partie-de-grenoble--13088338

Price & Shipping:

AU$244 (approx. US$175.06 / €149.90 / £128.27, subject to daily exchange rates). Price includes worldwide express shipping. Please note that destination import duties and local taxes remain the sole responsibility of the buyer.

If you’re interested in this historically significant and detailed 17th-century panoramic view of the city of Grenoble—one of the earliest and most comprehensive visual records of the region’s architecture and topography—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I’ll gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

Alexandre Calame, “Stand of Oak Trees with Two Travellers", published 1844

Alexandre Calame (also known as Alexandre Calam; Alexandre Calamy) (1810–1864)

"Stand of Oak Trees with Two Travellers" (Plate No. 15), published 1844

Technical Details & Condition:

Colour lithograph in three colours (tone blocks in two different shades of brown and black) on heavy wove paper, with full margins as issued. It is Plate 15 from the series “L'École du Paysagiste” (The School of the Landscape Painter), comprising 24 plates, printed in Paris by François Louis Cattier (active 1839–1856) and published through two agencies: Henri Jules Jeannin in Paris and E. Gambart, Junin & Co. in London in 1844.

This impression is strong, well-printed, and faultless. The sheet is in near-pristine condition, free of tears, holes, folds, abrasions, and significant stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 55.5 x 39.5 cm
• Image borderline: 33.5 x 24.9 cm

In-Plate lettering:

• Above image at centre: “L'ÉCOLE DU PAYSAGISTE”
• Within image at lower right: “A. Calame”
• Below image at left: “Paris_Jeannin, Place du Louvre. 20.”
• Below image at centre: “Imp. Lith. de Cattier rue de Lancry. 12. / N^o. 13.”
• Below image at right: “London_ E. Gambart, Junin & C^o.”

References:

• Istituto Centrale per la Grafica (National Institute for Graphics, Italy): Digital Print Catalogue, Series Entry for "L'Ecole du Paysagiste" by A. Calame — https://calcografica.it
• Hamburger Kunsthalle (Hamburg Art Museum): Online Collection, Alexandre Calame, Portfolio Sheet from "L'École du Paysagiste" (1844) — https://hamburger-kunsthalle.de
• Universidad de Costa Rico: Resource Number 903 — http://repositorio.iiarte.ucr.ac.cr/123456789/7184

Price & Shipping:

AU$278 (approx. US$197.98 / €169.35 / £145.10, subject to daily exchange rates). Price includes worldwide express shipping. Please note that destination import duties and local taxes remain the sole responsibility of the buyer.

If you are interested in acquiring this large and finely crafted lithograph capturing in a warm tint of colour, the deep-rooted European oaks and rocky terrain of the Swiss landscape, please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I am happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice to facilitate a seamless purchase.

This print has been sold

Wallerant Vaillant, “Two Boys Singing”, c. 1658–77, after Frans Hals

Wallerant Vaillant (also known as Vallerant Vaillant) (1623–1677) — the first professional mezzotint artist

“Two Boys Singing” (also known as “Two Singing Boys with a Lute and a Music Book”), c. 1658–77

Technical Details & Condition:

Mezzotint printed in black on fine laid paper, trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline. Although a strong and crisp impression showing minimal signs of wear to the printing plate, it is possibly from a later edition (based on the even distribution of paper pulp around the chain lines of the laid paper) printed from the original plate. The print is after Frans Hals’ (c. 1582/1583–1666) painting (c. 1625) in the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Kassel (Accession Number GK215 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Singing_Boys_with_a_Lute_and_a_Music_Book), and was originally published by Wallerant Vaillant.

The sheet remains in a near-pristine condition, entirely free of tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, or historical handling marks.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 27.9 x 21.7 cm
• Image borderline: 27.5 x 21.2 cm

In-Plate lettering:

• Lower centre: “F. Hals inv.”
• Lower right: “W. Vaillandt fec. et Exc.”

References:

• Hollstein Dutch 109 (Ger Luijten [comp.], “Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: Jan van der Vaart to Gerard Valck”, vol. 31, 1987, Amsterdam, Van Gendt, p. 129, cat. no. 109, state ii/ii)
• Rijksmuseum: Object Number RP-P-H-109 — https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200135502
• British Museum: Museum Number 1875,0710.1502 —https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1875-0710-1502

Price & Shipping:

AU$263 (approx. US$186.70 / €160.52 / £137.45, subject to daily exchange rates). Price fully includes worldwide express shipping. Please note that destination import duties and local taxes remain the sole responsibility of the buyer.

To purchase this exquisite mezzotint executed after a masterpiece by Frans Hals during the golden age of Dutch printmaking, please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless transaction.