Hendrik Goltzius’ (workshop) engraving, “The Silver Age”, 1598

(Workshop of) Hendrick Goltzius (1558–1617) based on Goltzius’ design,

possibly engraved by Goltzius’ pupil Robert de Baudous (1574/5–after 1659) or by Goltzius himself.

“The Age of Silver”, 1598, plate four in the series of fifty-two plates, “The Creation of the Four Elements”, illustration to Ovid’s (43 BC–17/18 AD) “Metamorphoses Book I” with Latin verses by Franco Estius (fl.1580s–1594) below the image borderline, published by Claes Jansz. Visscher (1587–1652) in Haarlem.

The Rijksmuseum offers the following information regarding the series in which this print features:

(transl.) “This print is part of a series of 52 prints that depict stories from Ovid's Metamorphoses. This series is divided into three numbered series: two of 20 prints and one of 12 prints. This print belongs to the first series”

(http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.380062).

Engraving on fine laid paper, trimmed along the platemark with text lines below the image and backed with an edging strip with an ink borderline.

Size: (sheet with edge border) 18.5 x 26.2 cm; (sheet) 17.4 x 25.1 cm; (image borderline) 16.7 x 25.1 cm.

Numbered twice on plate below the image borderline: (at left and right) “4”.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline in four lines of Latin in two columns by Franco Estius: "Sub Joue deterior .../ ...//…/ … luxit humus."

State i (of ii) Lifetime impression before the plate numbers are erased/burnished.

TIB 3 (3) 34 (104) (After Goltzius) (Walter L Strauss [ed.] 1980, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists: Hendrik Goltzius”, vol. 3, Abaris Books, New York, p. 314); New Hollstein Dutch 535–1(2) (Marjolein Leesberg [comp.] 2012, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts c.1450–1700: Hendrick Goltzius”, vol. 3, Ouderkerk aan den Ijssel, Sound & Vision, p. 227, cat. no. 535).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print in its second state (the listed impression is from the first state):

“Plate 4: The Silver Age; allegorical scene with a man ploughing with a single ox in foreground, distant figures sowing seeds and gathering crops beyond, a spinster in lower left, on the right a female figure proffers a cornucopia, Jupiter on a cloud at top centre; later state with numbers burnished; after Hendrik Goltzius. 1589 Engraving”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1947-1022-12).

Condition: a strong, well-printed impression trimmed to the platemark and edged with a margin strip with ruled ink border lines. Beyond the added border (which seems to be removable if necessary), the sheet is in a near faultless condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions, stains or foxing).

I am selling this important allegorical print showing Goltzius’ vision of an imaginary scene representing life in the Silver Age where abundantly muscled near-naked men, plough and sow crops overseen by a bare-breasted lady holding a distaff (i.e. a spindle—no doubt symbolising womanly work in the agricultural age, but arguably also control over men as the distaff was a handy weapon of choice in arguments) for a total cost of AU$342 (currently US$224.90/EUR205.92/GBP184.05 at the time of posting this print) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this strong, near faultless, lifetime impression, 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

Jan van de Velde II’s etching, “Figures at a Village on a Lake”, c1617

Jan van de Velde II (c1593–1641)

“Figures at a Village on a Lake” (Rijksmuseum title), c1617, plate 3 (as inscribed on the plate) from the series of eight etchings, “Landscapes of Oblong Format”, published by Robert de Baudous (1574/5–1659).

Etching on laid paper trimmed along the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 15 x 41 cm

Inscribed on plate at lower left: “3”

Franken & van der Kellen 333 (D Franken & J P van der Kellen 1883, “L'oeuvre gravé de Jan van de Velde II”, Amsterdam, p. 129); Hollstein 294 (F W H Hollstein 1949, “Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts c.1450–1700”, Amsterdam, p. 96)

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print:

“Figuren op een pad bij een poort naar en dorp aan een meer. Links aangemeerde sloepen.” (Google transl. “Figures on a path at a gate to a village on a lake. Links moored on the left.”) http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.333656

Condition: crisp early impression (based on the sharp quality of the lines) with several cracked vertical folds at the centre that are now flattened and restored to being almost invisible. The sheet is trimmed along the image borderline and laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper to re-margin the print. There is a pale dot stain above the trees towards the left side, otherwise the sheet is in very good condition.

I am selling this very long panoramic etching by Jan van de Velde II for AU$332 (currently US$252.74/EUR216.60/GBP189.13 GBP99 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 large and very rare etching by one of the major artists of the Dutch Golden Age, 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

Clifford S Ackley (1981) in the marvellous exhibition catalogue, “Printmaking in the Age of Rembrandt” (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), makes the interesting observation on page 70 (and I hope that I haven’t distorted his ideas too much) that Jan van de Velde II is somewhat overlooked—“underrated”— by contemporary historians as the artist doesn’t fit neatly into the vision of what Dutch Golden Age artists are supposed to do: engage in objective representation of their world. Instead, as exemplified by this etching, Van de Velde (II) was happy to compose fantasy landscapes using well-known features extracted from the local scenery. Regarding his landscape concoctions, Van de Velde (II) is famous for making two important series of panoramic views completely of his own design. The first series consists of eighteen plates published in 1615 by Claes Jansz. Visscher. The second series (in which this plate features) consists of eight plates published in around 1617 (according to JG van Gelder) by Robert de Baudous.