Carel van Mallery’s engraving, “The Roman Consul Attilius Regulus Fighting a Giant African Serpent”, c1596 (2nd copy)

Carel van Mallery (aka Charles de Mallery) (1571–1635?)

“The Roman Consul Attilius Regulus Fighting a Giant African Serpent” (aka “The Dragon Hunt”), c1596, from the series, “Hunting Parties” (aka “Venationes Ferarum, Avium, Piscium” (transl. “With wild beasts, birds, fish”), after Jan van der Straet (aka Joannes Stradanus; Ioannes Stradanus) (1523–1605), published by Philips Galle (1537–1612).

Note: the first edition of “Venationes Ferarum, Avium, Piscium” published by Galle comprised 43 unnumbered plates all engraved by Galle with a dedication page to Cosimo de Medici. After this edition the series was expanded to 104 plates engraved by A. Collaert, J. Collaert, C. Galle I and C. de Mallery with a dedication page to the jurist Henricus van Osthoorn en Sonnevelt (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1957-0413-37 and A. Baroni and M. Sellink, “Stradanus 1523-1605: Court artist of the Medici”, exh. cat. Groeningemuseum Brugge 2008–09, Turnhout, 2012, pp. 245–58, cat. nos. 32–49).

Engraving on fine laid paper with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 27.7 x 34.8 cm; (plate) 20 x 26.4 cm; (image borderline) 18.5 x 26.1 cm.

Lettered within image borderline at lower edge: (left) “Phls Galle excud.”; (right of centre) “Joan. Stradanus invent. Car. de Mallery sculp.”

Lettered below the image borderline: (left) “43”; (centre) two lines of Latin text arranged in two columns) “Attilius consul Romanus...tandem superavit.'; (right) “XV”.

State: ii (with the added numerals, “43” and “XV”; see the BM’s impression of the first state: 1901,0611.43)

New Hollstein (Dutch & Flemish) 480.II (Johannes Stradanus); Baroni Vannucci 1997 693.43 (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:

“The Roman Consul Attilius Regulus Fighting a Giant African Serpent; the Consul and his army surround and attack the giant serpent, firing arrows from all directions” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1901-0611-43)

Condition: strong and well-printed with generous margins. Beyond remnants of mounting tape (verso), the sheet is in an excellent/museum quality condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, losses, significant stains or foxing.

Note that this is the second impression of this same print that I have listed, the previous copy has been sold.

I am selling this exceptionally rare, engraving from the late 1500s—note the interesting cannon-like devices in the background—for a total cost of AU$307 (currently US$222.95/EUR187.68/GBP169.55 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 ultimate fantasy from the 16^th century of hunting a dragon, 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