(Inscribed) R. Blum, “Rest on the Flight into Egypt”, 1821, after Bolswert and Bloemaert

Early German Lithograph — Inscribed “R. Blum Hanau 1821”

“Rest on the Flight into Egypt”, 1821

Technical Details & Condition:

Lithograph printed in black ink from a key stone with a grey tint stone on heavy wove paper. The sheet has been trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline and professionally backed with a support sheet of archival-quality washi paper.

The lower edge of the sheet features partially trimmed, historical handwritten notations in brown ink:

• (left) “[A/]B. Bloemart” (referencing the master designer, Abraham Bloemaert [1564–1651])
• (right) “R. Blum Hanau 1821” (referencing the printmaker or early academic collection)

The design of this print is after Boetius Adams Bolswert’s engraving (1612–15) which in turn is after Abraham Bloemaert’s composition (see my listing of Bolswert’s engraving: https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2016/10/boetius-adams-bolswerts-engraving-after.html).

The impression is evenly printed with strong tonal contrasts. The upper right corner has been expertly replenished, and there are old, professionally restored tears, chips, and creases. Aside from these early structural instabilities (now stabilised by the washi backing), the sheet remains in good, stable condition without significant staining.

Historical Context:

Executed in 1821, shortly after the development of lithography by Alois Senefelder, this piece exemplifies early experimentation with the medium. It features the use of a mid-tone tint stone, employs a grainy line to mimic the texture of a chalk drawing, and showcases direct scraping on the stone matrix to enhance tonal contrast—visible, for example, in the Christ child's halo.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 40.4 x 32.4 cm
• Image borderline: 39.5 x 31.5 cm

Price & Shipping:

AU$296 (approximately US$207.95 / €180.40 / £154.19), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you’re interested in acquiring this rare artefact from the dawn of lithography, please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

Hendrik Hulsbergh, “Althorp House, Northamptonshire”, 1725, after Colen Campbell

Hendrik Hulsbergh (also known as Henry Hulsberg) (active circa 1700s–1729)

“Althorp House, Northamptonshire” (Inscribed as “Althrop”), 1725

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with engraving on heavy laid paper with full margins as issued and professionally flattened gate-folds of publication.

Published to span pages 83 to 84 as a gate-fold illustration to the third volume of Colen Campbell’s (1676–1729) “Vitruvius Britannicus, or, The British architect...”. The print follows a precise architectural drawing by Campbell capturing the grand Baroque and early Classical courtyard layout of Althorp House in West Northamptonshire, England, as it stood in the early 18th century. Inscribed in the plate as “The Seat of the Rt: Honourable the Earl of Sunderland,” this stately building is the ancestral home of the Spencer family and the location of Princess Diana’s final resting place.

While early variants of this plate feature a single line of English text, this complete state features a second parallel line of text translating the title into French ("Althrop dans le Comté de Northampton Maison du Earl Sunderland..."). This deliberate addition by Campbell was designed to appeal to the elite European continental market and aristocratic subscribers of the era.

This impression is strong, crisp, and evenly printed—near faultless. Aside from the professionally flattened folds of publication and minor age-toning, the sheet is in excellent, museum-quality condition, free from tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 43.6 x 59 cm
• Platemark: 25.4 x 50.5 cm
• Inner image borderline: 22.7 x 49.3 cm

In-Plate Lettering:

• Upper left: “p: 83, Vol: 3.^d”
• Lower left: “Ca: Campbell Delin:”
• Lower centre: “Althrop in Northampton Shire, The Seat of the R^t: Honourable the Earl of Sunderland &c: / Althrop dans le Comté de Northampton Maison du Earl Sunderland &c.”
• Upper right: “p: 84.”
• Lower right: “H: Hulsbergh Sculp:”

References:

• Vitruvius Britannicus Volume 3—Available via Archive.org: https://archive.org/details/vitruvius-britannicus-volume-3/page/n173/mode/2up

Price & Shipping:

AU$298 (approximately US$209.65 / €182.02 / £155.84), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you’re interested in acquiring this large and historically significant view of Althorp House—celebrated in “Vitruvius Britannicus” as a masterpiece of British architecture—please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

Hans Burgkmair the Elder, “The Party of the Green King Surprising and Attacking the Party of the White King at a River”, c. 1514–16

Hans Burgkmair the Elder (1473–1531)

“The Party of the Green King Surprising and Attacking the Party of the White King at a River”, circa 1514–16

Description:

This dramatic scene depicts a chaotic, close-quarters river ambush during the Habsburg-Hungarian Wars (1477–1491). The imperial forces of the “White King” (Maximilian I [1459–1519]) are shown defending their positions on the right bank, their flags emblazoned with Maximilian’s personal emblem, the Cross of Burgundy—a distinctive saw-toothed X-shaped cross. They are caught off-guard and attacked from across the river by the Hungarian troops of the “Green King,” King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary (reigned 1458–1490), whose forces advance from the left bearing standards adorned with traditional vertical crosses.

This woodcut vividly captures the tension of the ambush, emphasising the chaos and movement of the battlefield, underpinned by the diagonal view of the river separating the two armies.

Technical Details & Condition:

Woodcut on fine laid paper (blank on the verso), trimmed unevenly with the left side slightly within the image border, and professionally backed with a support sheet of archival-quality washi paper. This print is part of a series of 236 woodcut illustrations created for the autobiographical account of Emperor Maximilian I, “Der Weisskunig” (The White King). The series was produced between 1514 and 1516 but remained unpublished until rediscovered in 1775. They were first published as a book by Hoffstätter in Vienna, and later reissued in 1799 by S. Edward in London under the French title, “Tableaux des principaux événements de la vie et du règne de l'empereur Maximilien I.” (Metropolitan Museum Object Number: 1986.1180.52).

This impression is strong, crisp, and evenly printed, representing an early state with minimal signs of wear. Aside from a minor tear in the lower left edge, the sheet is in excellent condition, free from holes, folds, abrasions, or stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet (trimmed unevenly): 22.2 x 18.4 cm

References:

• TIB 11.79 (Tilman Falk, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Sixteenth Century German Artists”, Vol. 11, 1980, New York, Abaris Books, cat. no. 80 [224] – 79)

Price & Shipping:

AU$288 (approximately US$200.26 / €174.93 / £150.16), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you’re interested in acquiring this large and historically significant woodcut—an evocative depiction of a pivotal moment in European history—please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase. 

This print has been sold