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Sunday 26 July 2020

Jan Collaert II’s engraving, “Fishing by Night”, 1596, after Jan van der Straet


(attrib.) Jan Collaert II (aka Hans Collaert; Jan Baptist I Collaert) (c1561–c1620)

“Fishing by Night”, 1596, plate 101 from the series of 105 plates, “Venationes Ferarum, Avium, Piscium” (Hunts of wild animals, birds and fish), after a drawing by Jan van der Straet (aka Joannes Stradanus; Ioannes Stradanus) (1523–1605), initially published by Philips Galle (aka Philippe Galle; Philippus Gallaeus) (1537–1612) in 1596 in Antwerp, and later, as is the case with this impression, by Joannes Galle (aka Johannes Galle; Jan Galle) (1600–1676), in 1634 also in Antwerp.

Engraving on laid paper (17th century Foolscap watermark) with a wide margin around the platemark.
Size: (sheet) 27.2 x 34 cm; (plate) 19.6 x 26.3 cm; (image borderline) 18.1 x 25.8 cm.
Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower left on rock) “Ioan. Stradanus/ inuent.”; (lower right of centre below child) “Ioan Galle excud.”
Numbered and lettered on plate in two columns of two lines below the image borderline: (Ieft) “101.”; (left of centre) “Ludicra piscandi quædam ars est: vespere mensæ/ Insis tit rutila fulgenti lampade cautus// Piscator, placidaq[ue] in stagni aut fluminis vndâ/ Lumen pisciculos adeuntes decipit astu.”

Te Papa Tongarewa (Museum of New Zealand) offers the following interpretative translation by Tim Smith (Victoria University of Wellington) of the Renaissance Latin inscription:
“The sport of fishing is a real art. In the evening, the watchful fisherman gets to work in the reddish flame of the lamplight on his platform, and, whether it be placid on the lake, or wavy from the stream, the light tricks the little fish, who leap out owing to the fisherman’s skill”

State iii with the addition of the later publisher’s name, Joannes Galle (Philips Galle’s grandson).

New Hollstein 526.III (Manfred Sellink [ed.] 2001, “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: Philips Galle”, Rotterdam, Sound and Vision); Baroni Vannucci 693.101 (Alessandra Baroni Vannucci 1997, “Jan van der Straet, detto Giovanni Stradano, flandrus pictor et inventor”, Milan, Jandi Sapi Editori).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:
“Plate numbered 101, Fishing by Night; in the right foreground, a couple and a child, viewed from behind, watch as three boys, two with barge poles, and two other figures float on a raft illuminated with lanterns; one boy collects the fish that have jumped onto the raft, attracted by the light; two figures are seen before a building to the right, while a town is visible in distance”

Condition: well-printed, silvery impression with a wide margin. There is a small hole in the lettered text otherwise the sheet is in excellent condition for its considerable age (i.e. there are no tears, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing).

I am selling this beautifully luminous engraving showing the 16th century fishing technique of using light to attract fish at night, for a total cost of AU$324 (currently US$230.28/EUR197.62/GBP179.89 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 superb early engraving, 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











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