Hieronymus Wierix’s engraving, “Jonah Fleeing the Presence of the Lord”, 1585, after Maarten de Vos

Hieronymus Wierix (aka Jerome Wierix) (1553–1619)

“Jonah Fleeing the Presence of the Lord” (aka “Jonah is commanded by God to go to Nineveh”; “Jonas reçoit de Dieu l’ordre d’aller à Ninive”; “Jona's roeping en weigering om naar Nineve te gaan”), 1585, plate 1 from the series of four plates, “History of Jonas” (aka “Geschiedenis van Jona”—mindful that in the second edition Claes Jansz. Visscher (aka Nicolaes Jansz.Visscher; Piscator) (1587–1652) added a fifth plate (plate 4 in the sequence) that is now doubted to be by the hand of Hieronymus Wierix (see Mauquoy-Hendrickx [1978], Part 1, p. 6, cat. nos. 38–41)—after the design by Maarten de Vos (aka Maarten de Vos; Maerten de Vos) (1532–1603), published in Antwerp by Gerard de Jode (aka Geeraert de Jode; Geerart de Jode; Gerardo de Jode; Gheerde de Jode; Gheraerde de Jode; Girard de Jode; Gerard de Jode (1516/17–1591).

Engraving on laid paper watermarked with a double-headed eagle on shield, trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline and writing edge.

Size: (sheet) 18.7 x 25.4 cm; (image borderline) 17.7 x 24.9 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: “Mittitur ad Niniues celeberrima mœnia Jonas, Imperium domini sed tamen ille fugit. Jonas Cap. 1. Leronim⁹. Wierinc fecit.”

State ii (of v) This is a lifetime impression that still retains the lettering guide lines. From what I am able to determine, this impression is from the second of five states, before the plate number “1” is added (third state) and before the representation of God shown at upper-left is erased and replaced with God’s name in Hebrew (fourth state).

Mauquoy-Hendrickx 38 ([Marie Mauquoy-Hendrickx 1978, “Les Estampes Des Wierix”, Part 1, Brussels, Bibliotheque Royale Albert, p. 6, cat. no. 38); Hollstein Dutch 53–2(4); Mielke 41.

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print: (transl.) “Jonah is sent by God the Father to the city of Nineveh. Jonah does not want to and flees to Tarshish in a ship. Jonah already points to the ship he will take. Below the image a reference in Latin to the Bible text in Jonah 1” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.531037).

See also the description of this print offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1877-0811-1118.

Condition: a strong and near faultless impression, trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline and writing edge. Beyond a collector’s note in ink beside the fecit note (verso) and minor staining in the harbour view, the sheet is in very good condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or foxing.

I am selling this superb lifetime impression from the Renaissance period executed by one of the major old master printmakers, for AU$337 (currently US$227.63/EUR213.79/GBP189.24 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 strong and beautifully executed 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