Abraham Genoels’ etching, “Rest in Egypt”, c.1680

Abraham Genoels (aka Archimedes; Abraham Genoels II; Abraham Genoel; A. G.) (1640–1723)

“Rest in Egypt” (Le Repos en Egypte) (TIB title), 1675–91

Note that I have listed the pendent for this print executed by Felix Meyer (after Abraham Genoels) in the earlier post: http://www.printsandprinciples.com/2016/10/felix-meyers-etching-after-abraham.html

Etching on fine laid paper trimmed within the platemark and lined with a support sheet.

Size: (support-sheet) 30.7 x 33.4 cm; (sheet) 14.5 x19 cm

TIB 5 (4). 10 (328) (Walter L Strauss [Ed.] 1979, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists”, vol. 5, Abaris Books, New York, p. 301); Bartsch IV.328.10 (Adam Bartsch 1803, “Le Peintre graveur”, 21 vols, Vienna); Regnault-Delalande 1817 148.10 (F-L Regnault-Delalande 1817, “Catalogue Raisonné des Estampes du Cabinet de M le Comte Rigal”, Paris, chez l'auteur); Weigel 1843 undescribed (Rudolph Weigel 1843, “Suppléments au Peintre-Graveur de Adam Bartsch”, Vol.I, Leipzig, Rudolph Weigel);  Hollstein 10 (F W H Hollstein 1949, “Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts c.1450-1700”, Amsterdam, p. 98)

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“The Rest on the Flight into Egypt. The Holy Family resting under a large tree in the centre, a sarcophagus next to a river to the left, two pyramids to the right, several architectural blocks and bushes in the foreground, palm trees and Egyptian temples in the background; in an oval” (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1667427&partId=1&searchText=egypt&people=123852&page=1); see also the description of this print at the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.116287

Condition: crisp and well-inked impression trimmed to the oval image borderline and re-margined on a support sheet. The sheet shows signs of use (i.e. it is slightly mottled in colouring and there is a spot on the upper left just within the borderline), but there are no tears, holes, folds or significant abrasions.

I am selling this luminous print for AU$208 (currently US$166.63/EUR135.98/GBP119.86 at the time of posting this listing). Postage for this print is extra and will be the actual/true cost.

If you are interested in purchasing this very rare etching by Genoels (mindful that all etchings by this highly sought after artist are rare), please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

In earlier posts focused on Genoels' etchings I proposed that his line work has the attribute of “openness” (i.e. he leaves quite large gaps between each line) and that he renders trees with rounded strokes resulting in the trees’ foliage having a rather “fluffy look.”

In this etching, I think my former proposals about his stylistic leanings are still valid—thank goodness! One feature of Genoels' style that I have not commented on previously is his choice to feature remnants of a classical past. Here, I am not only referring to the curiously very pointed pyramids in the far distance, but also to the tomb/sarcophagus in the centre of the composition and the rubble of architectural bits in the immediate foreground.

Of course the featured pyramids were necessary additions to the scene as they locate the flight of the holy family to Egypt to escape the edict of King Herod to kill the male infants. The featured tomb, however, has less to do with the biblical narrative and a lot to do with the 17^th century landscape tradition of crafting scenes with architectural references to antiquity.