Caspar Merian, “Ambt Zechlin”, circa 1652

Caspar Merian (1627–1686) — Son of Matthäus Merian the Elder

“Ambt Zechlin” circa 1652— An historic 17th-century administrative district and princely estate located within the Margraviate of Brandenburg, Germany, approximately 75 km northwest of Berlin (see Rheinsberg – Wikipedia). Today, the area is part of the town of Rheinsberg (Rheinsberg – Wikipedia).

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on laid paper with wide margins as issued. The sheet retains the vertical centrefold of the first edition, published in 1652 by the heirs of Matthäus Merian the Elder (1593–1650), between pages 124 and 125 in “Topographia Electorat Brandenburgici et Ducatus Pomeraniae” (see: https://archive.org/details/dbc.wroc.pl.012564/page/n191/mode/2up).

The impression is strong, crisp, and evenly printed, reflecting the quality of line work typical of a lifetime impression. It shows minimal signs of wear to the printing plate. Aside from a supported closed tear in the centrefold, minor holes, and surface marks, the sheet is in excellent condition considering its age.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 33.5 x 39.1 cm
• Platemark: 23.6 x 36.5 cm
• Outer image borderline: 23.2 x 26.2 cm

In-Plate Lettering:

• Upper centre: “Ambt Zechlin”
• Lower left: “Casp: Merian / fecit.”

Price & Shipping:

AU$244 (approximately US$169.49 / €148.27 / £126.69), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

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

Marc Louis Emmanuel Solon, “Porcelaine avec Pâtes Rapportées”, 1865

Marc Louis Emmanuel Solon (pseudonym: Miles) (1835–1913)— Note that this etching is signed in the plate at the lower centre with the artist’s monogram: “MLS / sculp”.

“Porcelaine avec Pâtes Rapportées” (Porcelain with Added Pastes), 1865 — The title refers to porcelain decorated with relief using the “pâte-sur-pâte” (paste-on-paste) method, for which Marc Louis Emmanuel Solon was a leading exponent.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on buff-coloured chine-collé on wove paper trimmed within the platemark with small margins around the image and professionally backed with a support sheet, providing wide margins.

Printed by Alfred Salmon (active 1863-1894) in Paris and published in the art review, “Gazette des Beaux-Arts”, in October 1865, as Plate 17 between pages 374 and 375. The in-plate lettering notes that the composition was designed by “Mr. Milès”— Solon’s pseudonym—and indicates that the porcelain piece was fabricated by “Mr. Rousseau” (François-Eugène Rousseau, 1827–1891) Solon’s financial backer and dealer.

The impression is strong, crisp, and evenly printed. Aside from a minor mark in the support sheet margin at the left, the sheet is in excellent condition—free of tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or significant stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 18.3 x 23.2 cm
• Chine collé: 15.4 x 21.7 cm

In-Plate Lettering:

• Following the oval edge: (lower left) “COMPOSITION DE M^R. MILÈS”
• Within the oval: (lower centre) “MLS [monogram of artist] / sculp”
• Following the oval edge: (lower right) “FABRICATION DE M^R. ROUSSEAU.”
• Below the chine collé: (left) “Gazette des Beaux-Arts”
• Below the chine collé: (centre) “PORCELAINE AVEC PÂTES RAPPORTÉES.”
• Below the chine collé: (right) “Imp. A. Salmon à Paris.”

Price & Shipping:

AU$228 (approximately US$158.11 / €138.29 / £118.52), including worldwide express shipping. Please note: Import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this exquisite etching by a key porcelain artist, exemplifying his early mastery of flowing lines leading into the Art Nouveau period (peaking between 1895 and 1905), please contact oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I am happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

Bernard Picart, “Hell”, 1730, after Abraham van Diepenbeeck

Workshop of Bernard Picart (1673–1733)

“Hell” (also known as “Les Enfers”), 1730

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with engraving, printed from two plates on laid paper, with full margins as issued. Plate LV (55) to the series of sixty plates, “Le Temple des Muses”, published in 1733 in the first French edition by Zacharias Chatelain (active 1705–1733) in Amsterdam.

Archive.org offers an online view of this print in its context in the publication, facing page 138: https://archive.org/details/gri_33125012263162/page/n257/mode/2up.

The Curator of the British Museum notes: “Each illustration comes with an ornate border. There are at least 14 types of border, each printed once from the same plate as the illustration they first frame, then re-used as a passe-partout for the other illustrations” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1878-0914-53).

The composition of the central scene is based on an original design by Abraham van Diepenbeeck (1596–1675) and follows a reverse composition executed collaboratively by Cornelis Bloemaert (1603–1692) and Theodor Matham (1605/6–1676), with Matham completing the background. (See previous listing: https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2016/11/cornelis-bloemaerts-engraving-les.html.) 

The outer frame plate is inscribed at the lower left: “B. Picart del. 1730”, indicating Bernard Picart designed and drew the decorative border. His role for the inner scene is recorded as “B. Picart direx”, showing he directed the workshop’s re-engraving of the older composition.

The impression is strong, exhibiting minimal signs of wear to the printing plate—indicative of an early impression. Aside from minor surface marks, the sheet is in excellent condition—free of tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or significant stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 46.1 x 27.8 cm
• Platemark: 35.4 x 25.4 cm
• Inner image borderline: 23.5 x 18.1 cm

In-Plate Lettering:

• Below the central image: (left) “B. Picart direx”; (centre) “LES ENFERS. / HELL. // Die hell. / De Helle.”
• Below the outer frame: (left) “B. Picart del. 1730.”

Price & Shipping:

AU$302 (approximately US$209.68 / €183.28 / £157.06), including worldwide express shipping. Please note: Import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this simply fabulous etching (with engraving), depicting a view of Hell, printed from two plates, please contact oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I am happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

This print has been sold