Jan Sadeler I’s engraving, “Seth and Enoch”, 1586

Jan Sadeler I (aka Johannes Sadeler; Johann Sadeler) (1550–1600)

“Seth and Enoch” (TIB title) (aka “Seth and Enosh”; “Set en Enos”), 1586, lifetime impression of plate 3 from the series of fifteen engravings, “The Story of the First Men” (aka “History of the Set family / About judging right and wrong”; “Bonorum et Malorum consensio”), after a lost drawing by Maarten de Vos (aka Marten de Vos; Maerten de Vos) (1532–1603), published by Jan Sadeler I in Antwerp.

Engraving on laid paper trimmed around the image borderline with loss of the lines of text below the borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet/imageborderline) 19.5 x 27.5 cm.

Numbered on plate on upper edge: (centre) “III”.

Inscribed on plate along the lower edge: (left of lower centre) “Joann: Sadeler auctor at sculptor excu: […] Genes: capit 4”; (right) “Martin de vos figuravit:”

State i (of i) Lifetime impression (based on the quality of the line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate).

TIB 7001. 031 (Isabelle de Ramaix 1999, “The Illustrated Bartsch”, vol. 70, Part 1 [Supplement], New York, Abaris Books, p. 52, cat. no. .031); Nagler 1835 1835–52 no. 20; Le Blanc, no. 40; Wurzbach, no. 9.3; Hollstein 1980, vol. 31, no. 28; Edquist, p. 10, no. 14a.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Plate 3: Seth and Enosh. the aged and bearded Seth, up a ladder, cuts a branch with an axe; the young Enosh drags a branch towards a wheelbarrow with logs; beyond is a well tended farm landscape with a river valley; by a small wooden bridge a woman collects water from the river; across the width of the river are fish traps; after Maarten de Vos. 1586”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1959-0221-11-3).

See also the description of this print at the Rijksmuseum:

(Transl.) “Set and his son Enos are pruning trees and collecting wood. On the left, Set's wife prepares the food while the rest of the family takes care of the animals”

(http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.168207).  

Condition: well-printed and strong (lifetime) impression trimmed around the image borderline with loss of the text lines below the borderline. The sheet is in excellent condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing) and is laid onto a support sheet of millennium quality washi paper.

I am selling this lifetime impression of a very beautiful engraving by one of the most famous of the Flemish old masters for AU$370 (currently US$254.69/EUR226.70/GBP205.19 at the time of posting this print) 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 masterwork of engraving executed only 22 years after Michelangelo hung up his boots for the last time, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold