Nicolò Nelli, “Saint Mark”, c. 1570–75, after Aldegrever and Pencz

Nicolò Nelli (active 1552–1579)

“Saint Mark”, circa 1570–1575 (Post-Tridentine period)

Dating Note:

The textual layout and vernacular liturgical structure of this leaf align perfectly with the standardised scriptural reforms established after 1570. This identification indicates that the leaf was produced during Nelli’s mature Venetian workshop period. Interestingly, the elegant Roman lapidary display font used for the header text on the verso was the industry standard in leading publishing workshops of Venice during the 1570s.

Technical Details & Condition:

Engraving on fine handmade Renaissance laid paper, trimmed with a small margin around the platemark with letterpress Italian text verso. The engraving was created after the 1539 print by Heinrich Aldegrever (1502–1561), from the series “The Four Evangelists”—see a copy of Aldegrever’s print in the MET collection: Object Number 60.650.2 (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/428374). Aldegrever’s work, in turn, was based on a design by Georg Pencz (circa 1500–1550). 

This leaf was published in Venice by Nicolò Nelli to illustrate a post-Tridentine Epistole e Vangeli (Epistles and Gospels in the vernacular), used for Sunday homilies. The verso heading indicates a liturgical reading: “DOMENICA SECONDA DELL' AVVENTO / EPISTOLA DI SAN PAOLO APOSTOLO A' ROMANI. Cap. 15”—the Second Sunday of Advent, Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans, Chapter 15.

This is a strong, crisp lifetime impression, showing no signs of wear to the printing plate. The sheet exhibits minor, uniform age-toning appropriate for a 16th-century leaf but remains in remarkable condition—completely free of tears, holes, folds, abrasions, foxing, or significant staining.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 17.5 x 13 cm
• Platemark: 16.8 x 12.4 cm

In-Plate lettering:

• Lower left corner: “N N for.” (Nicolò Nelli formis)

Price & Shipping:

AU$370 (approximately US$265.94 / €228.10 / £195.68, 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 exceptionally rare engraving depicting Saint Mark—the Evangelist writing his Gospel while seated on a cloud and accompanied by his lion attribute—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I’ll gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless transaction.

This print has been sold

Charles Heyman, “Rue du Haut-Pavé”, 1910

Charles Heyman (1881–1915)— A premier chronicler of the Vieux Paris (Old Paris) streetscapes. Tragically, he died in 1915 while fighting in World War I, which limited his lifetime output.

“Rue du Haut-Pavé”— a street in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, named for its steep slope. Created in 1910.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching printed with a pale plate tone on buff-coloured Arches laid paper. It exemplifies the atmospheric charm of old Paris before urban redevelopment and the advent of motorised vehicles replacing horse-drawn carriages.

It is part of a series of twenty-one original etchings featured in “Glimpses of Paris” (Coups d'Oeil sur Paris), published in Paris in 1911 by Ch. Hessele. (See the British Museum’s collection portfolio, Museum No. 1939,0107.12.1-20 — https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1939-0107-12-1-20). Prior to the book’s formal release, this specific composition was selected for feature in the premier French art periodical, “Gazette des Beaux-Arts” (November 1, 1910), appearing as an insert alongside M. Savenay’s review article, “Un livre sur Paris illustré par M. Charles Heyman” (pp. 400–402).

The impression is richly inked, crisp, and flawlessly printed. The sheet is in pristine condition, entirely free of tears, folds, holes, abrasions, foxing, stains, or signs of handling.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 27 x 17.9 cm
• Platemark: 23 x 14.8 cm
• Image borderline: 22.1 x 14 cm

In-Plate lettering:

• Lower left corner: artist’s monogram with ligature initials

References:

• IFF 46a (Jean Adhémar, et al., “Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800: GUILLAUME–HUMBERT”, vol. 10, 1958, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, p. 386, cat. no. 46a) — Available via Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Gallica): https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5489209c/f398.item
• André Barrier II-68
• Pierre Sanchez & Xavier Seydoux 81 (catalogued as S. & S. 81 ii/ii for the second state/book edition)
• Benton Museum of Art (Pomona College): Object Accession 1483—https://embarkweb1.campus.pomona.edu/objects-1/info/1483?sort=0

Price & Shipping:

AU$229 (approximately US$164.51 / €140.97 / £120.64, 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 beautifully observed view of an historic street in Paris and the surrounding architecture in the early 1900s, please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I’ll gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless transaction.

Pieter Stevens van Gunst, “Plate 3: Study of the Female Nude”, 1685, after Gerard de Lairesse

Pieter Stevens van Gunst (aka Pieter van Gunst) (1658/59–circa 1731)

“Plate 3: Study of the Female Nude”, 1685

Technical Details & Condition:

Engraving on laid paper with full margins as issued. The watermark on this sheet is a variant of the prestigious Strasburg Lily (or “Crowned Lily”) in a crowned shield, closely matching the form catalogued in W. A. Churchill’s “Watermarks in Paper”, no. 418 (p. CCCXIII). While Churchill's reference specimen includes a full “VAN EGMONT” countermark on the corresponding half of the sheet, this individual folio leaf isolates the central Lily design. It bears the initials "ID" to the left of the shield, indicating production within the prominent Anglo-Dutch trading network of fine French handmade paper, associated with the Jean Villedary workshops.

The presence of this specific, crisp watermark, combined with the wide 3 cm chain-line intervals, serves as a diagnostic guarantee of an authentic, first-edition impression from the 1685 Amsterdam publication. (Note: The later edition of 1734, published by Jacob van Poolsum in Utrecht, features 2.5 cm chain-lines.)

This engraving is based on a drawing from the École de Médecine, Paris, by Gerard de Lairesse (1640/41–1711), and is Plate 3 of one hundred and three in Govard Bidloo’s (1649–1713) landmark anatomical atlas, “Anatomia humani corporis / Ontleding des menschelyken lichaams” (Anatomy of the Human Body / Dissection of the Human Body), first published in 1685 in Amsterdam by the widow of Johan van Someren (1622–1676) with Hendrick Boom and Dirk Boom heirs.

The impression is strong and well-printed, with only minor signs of wear to the printing plate. The sheet is in excellent condition for its large size and age, with only minor handling marks and a small 1 cm tear along the lower edge. It remains free of holes, folds, abrasions, or significant stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 54.2 x 37 cm
• Platemark: 45.9 x 30.5 cm
• Image borderline: 45.1 x 29 cm

In-Plate lettering:

• Upper-right corner: “T.81.”
• Within the figure: Key points labelled from “A” to “M”

References:

• Archive.org offers an online view of this print within its original publication context: https://archive.org/details/gri_33125008642049/page/n25/mode/2up
• Throwbridge Gallery provides an insightful account of the history and controversies surrounding the publication in which this print features: https://trowbridgegallery.com.au/shop/medical/william-cowper/william-cowper-t81/
• Rijksmuseum: Object Number RP-P-OB-70.620 — https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200398336

Price & Shipping:

AU$408 (approximately US$291.97 / €250.34 / £214.21, 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 distinguished masterwork of anatomical engraving—noting the highly refined use of the “dot and lozenge” technique for rendering tonal transitions—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.