Richard van Orley II’s etching, “Resurrection of Lazarus”, c.1685

Richard van Orley II (1663-1732)

“Resurrection of Lazarus” (aka “Revival of Lazarus”; “Lazaré veni foras, et statim prodiit qui fuerat Mortuus” [title on plate]), c.1685 (before 1700), after the intermediary design of Richard van Orley’s brother, Jan van Orley (1665–1735), from the series of twenty-eight plates, “New Testament Scenes”.

Etching and engraving on laid paper trimmed unevenly around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 20.5 x 26 cm; (image borderline) 19.2 x 24.6 cm.

Inscribed on plate below the image borderline: (left) “J. v. Orley in.”; (centre) “Lazaré veni foras, et statim prodiit qui fuerat Mortuus. Joan. Cap. 11”; (right) “R.v.Orley fecit”.

Lifetime impression before numbering for publication. Note that there are two numbered states prepared for different editions of this print: numbered “28” on the lower left and number “20” on the lower right.

Hollstein Dutch 3-30 (F.W.H. Hollstein 1956, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: Meer–Ossenbeeck”, vol. 14, Amsterdam, Menno Hertzberger, p. 191, cat. no. 3-30); Jacobs G47 (Alain Jacobs 2003, “Richard van Orley (Brussels 1663–Brussels 1732], [exh. cat.], Brussels, Royal Library of Belgium, p. 60–67, cat. no. 33 [G47]).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print:

(Transl.) “A large crowd of people is standing around the grave of Lazarus in a cave. Christ stands before the tomb of Lazarus and helps him out of his gravestone. Below the picture a Latin verse from Joh. 11”

(http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.collect.159747).

Condition: Good impression with the lower right showing signs of overwiping and with replenished lines of printer’s creases, trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline and laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in a good condition for its considerable age, but with restoration to the chipped lower right edge of the margin.

I am selling this visually arresting etching with theatrically dramatic contrasts of light and dark, for the total cost of AU$242 (currently US$155.44/EUR141.53/GBP124.41 at the time of this listing) including 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 etching from the late 1600s illustrating the startling moment when Christ commands the body of Lazarus to come back to life after four days of entombment (see Gospel of John [11:18; 30; 32; 38]), please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.