Jean-Baptiste de Roy's etching, “Tigress with Her Cubs”, c.1850

Jean-Baptiste de Roy (1759–1839)—a Flemish artist who is known for his landscape and animal paintings

Note that I initialled believed that the printmaker may not have been Jean-Baptiste de Roy and that this artist was the intermediary designer who translated the original painting on which this etching is based into line, but after consulting C. G. Voorhelm Schneevoogt's (1873) "Catalogue des Estampes Gravées d’Apres P. P. Rubens” the printmaker responsible is given as “Deroy” (p. 230, cat. no. 39).

“Tigress with Her Cubs” (aka “Tigress Suckling Her Cubs”), c.1850, published in Paris in the art periodical, “L'Artiste: Revue de Paris” and printed by Sarazin (aka Sarasin) (fl.c.1846–1880), after the oil painting, “Tigress with Her Cubs”, 1620, in the Akademie der Bildenden Kunste, Vienna, attributed to either Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) or Jan Wildens (1586–1653).

Interestingly, this print has been attributed to Eugène Delacroix (aka Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix) (1798–1863) (see http://www.artdiplomatic.com/grafica/1067-delacroix-eugene-ferdinand-victor-1798-1863-francesa-lions-et-ses-petites-.html), but Lous Delteil’s catalogue raisonnë of Delacroix’s graphic work does not describe this print.

Note that Johann Elias Ridinger (1698–1767) executed an etching after Rubens, in which the lower right section of its composition features the subject of this print (see https://hvrd.art/o/278343). Note also that Nikolaus Rhein (1767–1819) executed a mezzotint in 1790 of the same composition (with difference in the format) attributed at the time to Rubens (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1891-0414-1263).

Etching on wove paper trimmed with a narrow margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet providing wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 23.5 x 33.7 cm; (plate) 22.3 x 33.1 cm; (image borderline) 21.2 x 32.3 cm.

Lettered in plate: (above the image borderline at centre) “L'ARTISTE”; (below the image borderline at left) “DE ROY”; (below the image borderline at right) “SARAZIN IMP PARIS”.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression, trimmed with a narrow margin around the platemark and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins. The sheet is in near pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains.

I am selling this superb etching executed with great skill—note how the artist has been able to suggest the pale tones and fine hair of the cubs in contrast to the much darker tones and comparatively coarse hair of the tigress—for the total cost of AU$282 (currently US$183.52/EUR170.31/GBP145.45 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 powerful portrayal of a protective tigress with her suckling cubs, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.