Valentin Lefebre’s etching, “Venice Sitting on a Globe”, 1682, after Battista Zelotti

Valentin Lefebre (aka Valentin Le Fevre; Valentin Le Febre; Valentin Lefebure; Valentin Lefèvre) (1637–1677)

“Venice Sitting on a Globe” (aka “Venetië zittend op een globe”; “Venice Seated upon the Globe and upon a Lion”), 1682, plate 45 from the series of fifty-three plates, “Opera Selectiora” (aka “Opera selectiora quae Titianus Vecellius Cadubriensis et Paulus Calliari Veronensis inventarunt ac pinxerunt”), after Battista Zelotti (aka Giovanni Battista Zelotti; Giambattista Zelotti) (c.1526–1578) and published by Jacobus van Campen (fl.1682) in Venice.

Although the inscription on this plate (“Pavlvs Caliary, Veronensis, In, & Pin[x]”) advises that the print is after the design/invention and painting by Paolo Veronese (1528–1588), this attribution is now rejected. According to the Rijksmuseum, this print is after the mural in the Sala delle Udienze del Consiglio dei Dieci (Palazzo Ducale, Venice) by Giambattista Zelotti (see http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.138913).

Regarding the publication of “Opera Selectiora”, the British Museum advises: “The series was left unfinished at his [Valentin Lefebre's] early death, and finally published in 1682 by Jacques van Campen (the 1680 edition does not seem to exist). It was reprinted in 1684, and in the XVIIIc in 1749, 1763; later by Teodoro Viero who added his address to the plates (editions in 1786 and 1789)” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/term_details.aspx?bioId=117639).

Etching on laid paper with a small margin around the platemark backed with a support sheet.

Size: (support sheet) 41.3 x 24.7 cm; (sheet) 33.3 x 16.6 cm.; (plate) 30.5 x 15.1 cm.; (inner image borderline) 27 x 14.7 cm.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) V. lefebre del. et sculp.”; (centre) “PAVLVS CALIARY, VERONENSIS, IN, & PIN[X]”; (right) “J. Van Campen. F. Venetÿs.”

State i (of ii) before the addition of the address of the later publisher (Teodoro Viero).

Ruggeri I.45 (Ugo Ruggeri 2001, “Valentin Lefèvre: Dipinti, Disegni, Incisioni”, Manerba, Merigo Art Books, p. 223, cat. no. I.45); Hollstein Dutch 1–53 (FWH Hollstein 1953, “Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts ca. 1450–1700: L'Admiral–Lucas van Leyden”, vol. 10, Amsterdam, Menno Hertzberger, p. 46, cat. no. 1–53); Villot 46 (Frédéric Villot 1844, "Valentin Lefebre, peintre et graveur à l'eau-forte", in 'Le Cabinet de l'amateur et de l'antiquaire', vol. 3, p. 194, cat. no. 46).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “Personification of Venice: a woman seated on a globe, a lion at her feet, raising her left hand and holding a sceptre with her right hand; in an oval; after Zelotti. 1682/ Etching” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1891-0511-2).

See also the description of this print offered by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.138913.

Note that Johann Gottfried Seuter (aka Gottifredo Saiter) (1717–1809) executed an etching after Lefefre’s etching in c1749 (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1936-1007-25).

Condition: a slightly silvery impression with small margins around the platemark and laid onto a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in a good condition with no losses, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this very Venetian composition showing the personification of Venice sitting on the globe (symbolic of supremacy, sovereignty and dominion) with her foot resting on the lion of St Mark (symbolic of power, pride, magnificence, nobility and courage), for AU$238 (currently US$168.87/EUR158.14/GBP134.33 at the time of listing this print) 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 early impression from the first edition published by Jacobus van Campen, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Note that I have listed a companion print by Valentin Lefebre, “Janus and Juno”, 1682, that is still available; see: https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2020/05/valentin-lefebres-etching-janus-and.html