Philips Galle’s engraving, “Rodanus”, 1586

Philips Galle (aka Philippe Galle; Philippus Gallaeus) (1537–1612)

“Rodanus”, 1586, plate 14 from the series of seventeen plates (TIB 5601.090:1–17; Hollstein 316-32), “Semideorum Marinorum Amnicorumque Sigillariæ Imagines Perelegantes” (aka “Sea and River Gods”), published by Philips Galle in Antwerp.

Edition-Originale.com offer a superb description of the publication of this series and images of the plates: https://www.edition-originale.com/en/antique-books-1455-1820/editions-originales/-semideorum-marinorum-amnicorumque-1586-50148.

Engraving on laid paper, trimmed with thread margins close to the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 16.8 x 10 cm.

Lettered and numbered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Phls Gall. Inue./ et fecit.”; (centre) “RODANVS.”; (right) “14.”

State i (of ii) Note that the attribution of this impression to the first state is based on the text line being the same as the first state impression held by the Rijksmuseum (RP-P-1898-A-19958; 1942,0720.1.36).

TIB 1987 5601.090:14 (Arno Dolders [ed.] 1987, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists: Philips Galle”, vol. 56, Supplement, New York, Abaris Books, p. 351, cat. no. [5601].090:14); New Hollstein Dutch 426-1 (2) (Marjolein Leesberg & Manfred Sellink [comp.] 2001, Rotterdam, “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: Philips Galle”, Sound and Vision, p. 115; p. 130 [fig.], cat. no. 426).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Personification of the river Rhone as a youthful, nude male figure holding an oar and seated on a rock at the water's edge amongst the reeds, his foot resting on a large seashell spilling water”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1942-0720-1-36).

See also the description offered by the Rijksmuseum:”

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.114835.

Condition: well-printed impression trimmed with thread margins around the image borderline and has been laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, stains or foxing.

I am selling this Renaissance period engraving showing the river god of the Rhone holding an oar while his foot rests on a trident shell outflowing with water (symbolic of the figure’s personification as a river god), for AU$338 (currently US$267.75/EUR219.94/GBP190.14 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) 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 marvellous print engraved only a couple of decades after Michelangelo put down his brushes after completing the “Last Judgement” in the Sistine Chapel, 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