Étienne Delaune’s engraving, “May”, 1568

Étienne Delaune (aka Stephanus) (c1518–83)

“May”, 1568, plate 4 from the series of twelve engravings, “Twelve Months” (aka “The Labours of the Months”).

Engraving on fine laid paper trimmed close to the platemark backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 5.6 x 8.2 cm; (oval image borderline) 5.5 x 7.7 cm.

Lettered in plate along the lower edge: (left) “MAY”; (right) “CVM PRĪ REGIS”.

Robert-Dumesnil 189 (A.P.F. Robert-Dumesnil 1835, “Le peintre-graveur français, ou catalogue raisonné des estampes gravées par les peintres et les dessinateurs de l'école française: ouvrage faisant suite au peintre-graveur de Bartsch”, vol. 9, Paris, G Warée, p. 59, cat. no. 189); IFF 192 (André Linzeler 1932, “Inventaire du Fonds Français. Graveurs du XVIe Siècle”, vol. I, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, Département des Estampes, p. 254, cat. no. 192); Pollet 98 (Christophe Pollet 1995, “Les gravures d'Etienne Delaune [1518-1583]”, vol. 1, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, Presses Universitaires du Septentrion, pp. 347–48, cat. no. 98).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print: (Transl.) “Garden with three women making music in the foreground and men at a table in the background. At the top of the constellation Gemini” and advises that the print is “Part of a twelve-part series of the twelve months with signs of the zodiac, in oval shape” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.103040).

Condition: a very delicate impression trimmed close to the platemark with a restored lower left corner and laid onto a sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this small and finely crafted engraving showing activities associated with the month of May—viz. harvesting, discourse, riding, falconry, chaplet/floral headband making and playing music (my apologies if I am wrong in my reading of these activities)—for the total cost of AU$298 (currently US$209.33/EUR185.32/GBP157.89 at the time of posting 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 sensitively rendered tiny jewel of an 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