Jan Sadeler I’s engraving, “Annunciation to the Shepherds”, c1588, after Jacopo Bassano (2nd impression)

Jan Sadeler I (aka Johannes Sadeler; Johann Sadeler) 1550–1600)

“Annunciation to the Shepherds” (TIB title), c1575–1600, after a painting by Jacopo Bassano (aka Jacopo da Ponte; Giacomo Bassano) (c.1510/18–1592) in the Giusti collection, Verona.

Engraving on fine laid paper trimmed around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 22.1 x 28.2 cm; (image borderline) 19.6 x 28.2 cm.

Lettered on plate: (above the image borderline) “ECCE ENIM EVANGELIZO VOBIS GAUDIVM MAGNVM.” (transl. “I bring you good tidings of great joy”); (below the image borderline): “IN GRATIAM PERILLVSTRIS COMITIS AVGVSTINI DE IVSTIS, TABELLAM/ HANC IOANNES SADELERVS ÆRE SCALPSIT, QVAM OLIM IACOBVS DE PONTO/ BASSANENSIS COLORIBVS EFFINXERAT, VERONÆ.”

Lifetime impression; State i (of iii) before the addition of the address the publisher, Dancker Danckerts, in state ii and the address of F. de Wit in state iii.

TIB 7001.149 S1 (Isabelle de Ramaix & Walter L Strauss [eds.] 1999, “The Illustrated Bartsch 70, Part 1 [Supplement], Johan Sadeler I”, vol. 70, Part 1, Abaris Books, p. 175); Nagler 1835–52, no. 42; Le Blanc, no. 45; Wurzbach, no. 31; Hollstein 1980, vol. 21, no. 180; Sénécgak 1987, no. 2 (Johan Sadeler I).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Annunciation to the shepherds. The angel appearing between clouds at centre, the shepherds huddled with their sheep, an ox, goat, dog and donkey, one reclining at right, two standing and conversing behind, a man seated at centre, resting his head on his hand; first state before publisher's address; after Jacopo Bassano.”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_W-9-117)

See also the description of this print at the Rijksmuseum:

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.168367.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression trimmed around the platemark (or slightly within) and laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. There is a restored hole in the margin at lower left and restoration of the lower right corner, otherwise the sheet is in very good condition with no significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this very rare and beautiful engraving—note in particular the exquisite rendering of the dog towards the centre of the scene as it gazes up to the angel, but equally interesting to my eyes is the rendering of the grass in the foreground where each blade is crafted to reflect the angel's radiance by contrast with the surrounding darkness—for the total cost of $431 (currently US$325.91/EUR267.41/GBP242.79 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) 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 unusual engraving of a night-time scene, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Please note that this is the second copy of this engraving that I have posted. The previously listed print (posted 16 July 2018) has been sold.

This print has been sold 

Jan Sadeler I’s engraving, “The Calling of Abraham”, 1575–1600

Jan Sadeler I (aka Johannes Sadeler; Johann Sadeler) (1550–1600)

“The Calling of Abraham”, 1575–1600, after a painting by Jacopo Bassano (aka Giacomo Bassano; Jacopo da Ponte) (c1510/18–1592) that was in the Giusti collection in Verona at the end of the sixteenth century but is now lost (see TIB 7001.052), published by Jan Sadeler I with imperial court privilege (as noted on plate).

Engraving on fine laid paper with small margings and backed on a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 22.1 x 277; (plate) 21.5 x 26.4 cm; (image borderline) 20 x 26.4 cm

Inscribed within the image borderline: (centre of upper edge) "GENES XII”; (inverted text emerging from cloud at upper centre) “Egredere de terra tua”; (centre of lower edge) “Cũ priuilegio/ Sac:Cæs. M.”

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (two-line dedication to Augustinus de Justis) "IN GRATIAM PERILLVSTRIS COMITIS AVGVSTINI DE IVSTIS, PINXIT IACOBVS DE PONTO BASSAN,/ VERONAE"/ Scalpsit autem Joann. Sadeler Belg."

Lifetime impression (based on the crisp quality of the line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate) of the only state.

TIB 1999 7001.052 (Isabelle de Ramaix 1999, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Johan Sadeler l”, vol 70, part 1 (Supplement), Abaris Books, Norwalk, p. 76); Hollstein 53

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“The Calling of Abraham. Landscape with a couple making cheese (?) in lower right, their animals beyond, a shepherd resting at the foot of a tree at left, Abraham as a shepherd in background and being addressed by the words 'Egredere de terra tua' emerging from a cloud; after Jacopo Bassano”

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3146681&partId=1&searchText=sadeler%2c+bassano&view=list&page=1)

See also the description of this print at the Rijksmuseum:

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.406590

Condition: crisp, near faultless impression trimmed with small margins and backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in excellent/museum-quality condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing).

I am selling this exceptionally rare masterpiece of engraving by one of the greatest of the old master printmakers for the total cost of AU$347 (currently US$254.88/EUR217.88/GBP197.71 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this breathtakingly fine 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

There are so many interesting elements to this composition such as the portrayed activity of making cheese on the right with what seems to be a small whiskered dog wishing to participate in the production shown with its head sniffing at the ripe smells coming from the curds in the pot—my apologies if curds (or whatever is in the pot) don’t have an odour but I need to establish in my head what this curious looking dog is interested in.

My attention, however, is not so much on what is depicted in the scene: it’s on the line of text emanating from heaven … or at least from the light filled gap in the clouds. Again, my interest is not about the meaning of the words but rather that the words are upside down. If one thinks about this curious inversion the artist’s arrangement of God’s words to sleeping Abraham in the foreground to “Egredere de terra tua”—(transl.) "Get out of your” land, your relatives, and your father's home. Go to the land that I will show you (Genesis 12.1)—it all makes sense. God is speaking to Abraham from heaven and so the viewer needs to turn upside down to see/hear the words from God’s perspective. Sheer magic! From an historical standpoint this is not the first example of an artist seeking to engage a viewer in a reflexive response of turning upside down to be a part of a portrayed scene (see for example Jan van Eyck’s “Annunciation”, c1435), but they are rare nevertheless.

Jan Sadeler I’s engraving, “Annunciation to the Shepherds”, c1575–1600

Jan Sadeler I (aka Johannes Sadeler; Johann Sadeler) 1550–1600)

“Annunciation to the Shepherds” (TIB title), c1575–1600, after a painting by Jacopo Bassano (aka Jacopo da Ponte; Giacomo Bassano) (c.1510/18–1592) in the Giusti collection, Verona.

Engraving on fine laid paper trimmed with a narrow margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 22.7 x 28.7 cm; (plate) 22.2 x 28.4 cm; (image borderline) 19.6 x 28 cm

Lettered Latin on plate: (above the image borderline) “ECCE ENIM EVANGELIZO VOBIS GAUDIVM MAGNVM.” (transl. “I bring you good tidings of great joy”); (below the image borderline): “IN GRATIAM PERILLVSTRIS COMITIS AVGVSTINI DE IVSTIS, TABELLAM / HANC IOANNES SADELERVS ÆRE SCALPSIT, QVAM OLIM IACOBVS DE PONTO / BASSANENSIS COLORIBVS EFFINXERAT, VERONÆ.'

Lifetime impression. State i (of iii) before the address “Dancker Danckerts excud.” of state ii and the address of “F. de Wit excud.” of state iii.

TIB 7001.149 S1 (Isabelle de Ramaix & Walter L Strauss [eds.] 1999, “The Illustrated Bartsch 70, Part 1 [Supplement], Johan Sadeler I”, vol. 70, Part 1, Abaris Books, p. 175); Nagler 1835–52, no. 42; Le Blanc, no. 45; Wurzbach, no. 31; Hollstein 1980, vol. 21, no. 180; Sénécgak 1987, no. 2 (Johan Sadeler I).; Pan, nos. 2 and 2a.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Annunciation to the shepherds. The angel appearing between clouds at centre, the shepherds huddled with their sheep, an ox, goat, dog and donkey, one reclining at right, two standing and conversing behind, a man seated at centre, resting his head on his hand; first state before publisher's address; after Jacopo Bassano.”

(http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3023681&partId=1&searchText=sadeler+shepherds&page=1)

See also the description of this print at the Rijksmuseum:

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.168367

Condition: crisp and well-printed lifetime (first state) impression in excellent condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains or foxing), trimmed with small margins around the platemark and backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this lifetime impression of a very rare and beautiful engraving—note in particular the exquisite rendering of the dog towards the centre of the scene as it gazes up to the radiant angel proclaiming the birth of Christ—for the total cost of [deleted] including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this unusual engraving of a nighttime scene, 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

What I love about this print—beyond the simply stunning skill of the engraver—is that the artist is able to imbue a spirit of life to the figures and animals portrayed. For instance, the dog shown near the centre of the composition is completely believable as a living and thinking dog engaged in gazing at the very unusual sight in the night sky: an angel making a proclamation in dazzling radiant light. Note also the juxtaposition of the dog with its uplifted but stilled tail next to the less than interested goats and sheep.

Of extra special interest to me is the artist’s treatment of the sleeping figure below the angel. Here the figure’s deep sleep is expressed not only by the downward tilt to his head but more insightfully by the use of an encircling net of contour lines connoting a brain inwardly engrossed in dreaming.

One final feature of this print that I need to point out is the artist’s subtle approach to rendering the foreground grass. The blades of the grass are depicted as illuminated by the heavenly light, but to render them as lit by the light (i.e. white) the immediate background to each blade has been engraved with fine lines to give the illusion that the grass is represented with white strokes.