Simone Cantarini’s etching, “Guardian Angel”, c1640

Simone Cantarini (aka Il Pesarese; Simone da Pesaro) (1612–1648)

“Guardian Angel” (TIB title) (aka “L’ange gardien” [Bartsch title]; “A Guardian Angel Walking with a Child” [MET title]), c1640, a later impression stamped on verso with the collector’s ink mark in purple, “KM” within a circle (not in Lugt). Note that this collector’s mark is also shown in verso on the chalk drawing by Vittoria Maria Bigari, “Allegorical Figure of History”, in the collection of the MET (see Jacob Bean & William Griswold 1990, “18th Century Italian Drawings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art”, New York, MET, p. 32 [Provenance]).

Etching on fine buff wove paper, trimmed with a narrow margin around the platemark and ink stamped verso with a collector’s mark.

Size: (sheet) 20 x 13.7 cm; (plate) 19.4 x 12.9 cm; (inner image borderline) 16.8 x 12.6 cm.

State i (of i)

TIB 42 (19). 28 (138) (John T Spike [ed.] 1981, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Masters of the Seventeenth Century”, vol. 42, New York, Abaris Books, p. 101, cat no. 28 [138]); Bartsch, XIX.138.28; Bellini 1980, no. 29; Massari 6.

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print (note that the cherubim in the description are the lightly delineated faces that might be mistaken for clouds): (transl.) “A little boy is taken by the arm by a guardian angel who points to cherubim in the sky” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.90478.

See also the descriptions of this print offered by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/341504; https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1876-0212-37.   

Condition: a well-printed impression with narrow margins. Beyond a faint trace of the collector’s mark shining through at lower left, the sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this sensitively executed etching that (to my eyes) sparkles with light resulting from Cantarini's sparing touch with the etching needle—note the lightly indicated cloud-like faces of the cherubim that the child’s guardian angel is indicating—for the total cost of AU$443 (currently US$316.83/EUR279.86/GBP234.97 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 remarkably fine etching showing a guardian angel accompanying a child, 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