Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert’s engraving, “Horses”, 1611, after Abraham Bloemaert

Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert (aka Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswerd) (1580–1633)

“Horses” (aka “Paarden”), 1611, plate 3 from a series of 12/14 engravings (the BM proposes 12 prints, but the Rijksmuseum and Roethlisberger advise that there are fourteen prints), “Animals” (aka “Pastoralen”), after Abraham Bloemaert (aka Abraham Bloemaart) (1564-1651) and published by Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert.

Engraving on fine laid paper (with watermark) with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 21 x 26.5 cm; (plate) 11 x 14.1 cm; (image borderline) 10.7 x 13.8 cm.

State i (of i)

Hollstein Dutch 326 (F.W.H. Hollstein 1950, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts c.1450-1700: Boekhorst–Brueghel”, vol. 3, Amsterdam, Menno Hertzberger, p. 67, cat. no. 326); Roethlisberger 137 (Marcel George Roethlisberger 1993, “Abraham Bloemaert and His Sons: Paintings and Prints,” vol. 1, Doornspijk, Davaco, p.168, cat. no. 137).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Plate 3: Horses. Landscape with a large horse at centre, being saddled by a man standing behind the animal, another horse resting beyond, houses in background; after Abraham Bloemaert. 1611 Engraving” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1875-0710-915). 

See also the description of this print offered by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.84275.

Roethlisberger (1993) offers the following insights about this print:
“The horse is saddled in order to serve man. The design show a characteristic device of many Bloemaertian compositions, the partial hiding of a figure behind some other form or behind a foreground plane. Horses appear rarely in Bloemaert” (p. 168).

Condition: a well-printed early impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate with generously wide margins. Beyond a dot above the figure’s hand, the sheet is in a near pristine (museum quality) condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this superb impression of a rare and very beautiful engraving of horses that (arguably) heralds the later Dutch and Flemish fascination with bucolic scenes featuring animals, for the total cost of AU$314 (currently US$230.38/EUR198.78/GBP168.50 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 masterwork of engraving executed in 1611, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.