Théodore’s etching, “Arcadian Mountain Landscape with Two Shepherds”, c1660, after Francisque Millet

Théodore (fl.1660)—printmaker/etcher for Francisque Millet (aka Jean François Millet; François Milé) (1642–1679)

“Arcadian Mountain Landscape with Two Shepherds” (aka “Arcadisch berglandschap met twee herders” [Rijksmuseum title]; “Landscape with Two Shepherds” [TIB title]; “Les Deux Bergers”), 1642–1679, after a painting by Francisque Millet, published in the first edition by Simon (fl.1600s).

Etching on laid paper trimmed around the image borderline and slightly within the image borderline on the sides.

Size: (sheet) 31.9 x 43.8 cm; (image borderline) 31 x 43.8 cm

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left with partial loss) “[Fr]ancisque Pinxit Simon excudit cum priuelegio regis”.

Lifetime impression; state i (of ii) with Simon as publisher before his name is erased in the second state (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1877-1013-802).

TIB 7(5).28(347) (Otto Naumann 1978, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists”, vol. 7, New York, Abaris Books, p. 167, cat. no. 28 [347]); Robert-Dumesnil 23; LeBlanc 23.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “Landscape with a man with a phrygian cap walking with a stick along a road in the centre, a shepherd sitting next to the road, trees and bushes on either [side], mountains in the background” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1877-1013-801).

See also the description of this print in its second state offered by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.185370.

Condition: well-printed lifetime impression trimmed close to the image borderline and slightly within the borderline on the sides. The sheet is in a very good condition for its age with no tears, several pin-holes, a flattened centre-fold and no significant stains.

I am selling this remarkably fine etching capturing Francisque Millet’s expansive seventeenth century view of landscape with figures gesturing to connote meaning—an approach reflects Millet’s move away from biblical narratives to add meaning to his images (e.g., “Moses Rescued from the Nile” and “The Flight into Egypt”)—for the total cost of AU$345 (currently US$238.89/EUR221.23/GBP198.14 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 early representation of a non-manicured/natural landscape, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.