Unidentified printmaker/ Lucas Vorsterman I’s engraving, “Rest on the Flight into Egypt”, after Van Dyck

Unidentified printmaker or Lucas Vorsterman I (aka Lucas Aemilius Vorsterman) (1595–1675)

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Note that this print is inscribed in the plate at lower left, “L Volterman Sculp.”, but the misspelling of the Vorsterman’s name along with the incorrect attribution of the design to a painting by Rubens (1577–1640) (rather than a painting by Anthony van Dyck [1599–1641]) and the inscribed publisher’s name at lower right, as “Franciscus Huberti” instead of the shorter name “Frans Huberti” (aka Frans Huybrechts) (fl.1650–1687) for the well-known Antwerp-based publisher, (arguably) suggest that the “mistakes” were designed to deceive the art-market in the 1600s—of course I may be wrong and the “mistakes” are genuine oversights/deliberate choices. Be mindful that Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert (c.1586–1659) executed an engraving of the same design after the painting by Anthony van Dyck (and Cornelis de Vos) in the collection of the Hermitage Museum (St Petersburg, Russia); see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_R-2-15.

Interestingly, Charles Le Blanc (1890) in volume 4 of his famous dictionary of engravers, “Manuel de l'Amateur d'Estampes: Contenant le Dictionnaire des Graveurs de Toutes les Nations” (Paris, Emile Bouillon), catalogues this print on page 157 (cat. no. 100) as being by Lucas Vorsterman after Rubens with the date of the print’s execution as 1620.

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“Rest on the Flight into Egypt” (aka “Le Retour d'Egypte” [Le Blanc]), c.1670 (1650–1687), published in Antwerp (arguably) by Frans Huberti.

Engraving on laid paper trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline and the writing edge.

Size: (sheet) 32.6 x 43.8 cm; (image borderline) 31.7 x 43.3 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “L Volterman Sculp.”; (left-of-centre) “P. P. Rubens pinx^.”; (right) “Franciscus Huberti excudit Antuerpiæ.”

Le Blanc 100

Condition: richly inked and near faultless impression trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline and writing edge in very good condition with no tears, holes, folds, significant stains or foxing, with remnants of mounting verso.

I am selling this beautiful engraving from the 1600s showing cherubs making music and dancing to entertain the Holy Family resting on their flight into Egypt to escape King Herod who sought to kill the infant Jesus, for AU$313 (currently US$209.21/EUR189.29/GBP166.63 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 purchasing this superb impression of what may be an early attempt to (arguably) deceive the art-market of the 1600s by lettering the plate with misinformation regarding the engraver (inscribed as “L Volterman” rather than “L Vosterman”), the designer (inscribed as “Rubens” rather than “Van Dyck”) and perhaps even the publisher (inscribed as “Franciscus Huberti” rather than “Frans Huberti”—mindful that Frans Huberti is not known to use the extended name “Franciscus Huberti”), please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert’s engraving, “Landscape with Watercourse and Figures”, c1638, after Rubens

Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert (aka Scheltius à Bolswert) (c1586–1659)

“Landscape with Watercourse and Figures” (aka “Landscape with a Couple with Dog at a River”; “Landschap met Waterloop en Figuren”), c1638, after a now lost painting by Peter Paul Rubens (aka Petrus Paulus Rubenius) (1577–1640), published in Antwerp by Gillis Hendricx (aka Gilles Hendrikx) (fl.1640–1677).

Engraving on fine laid paper trimmed with a small margin around the platemark.

Size: (sheet) 32.5 x 49 cm; (plate) 31.5 x 48.1 cm; (image borderline) 29.8 x 47.8 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “P. P. Rubens pinxit./ S. à Bolswert Sculpsit.”; (right) “Gilles Hendricx excudit.”

State iv (of v) with the details of Gilles Hendricx as the publisher.

Hollstein 320 (F.W.H. Hollstein 1950, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts c.1450-1700: Boekhorst–Brueghel”, vol. 3, Amsterdam, Menno Hertzberger, p. 89, cat. no. 320); Schneevogt 16 (C.G. Voorhelm Schneevogt 1873, “Catalogue des estampes gravées d'après P.P. Rubens, avec l'indication des collections où se trouvent les tableaux et les gravures”, Harlem, p. 235, cat. no. 16).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following insights about this print: (Transl.) “Print after a painting by Peter Paul Rubens. Hollstein describes a series of small landscapes under nos. 305 to 325, but these prints were not produced as a series” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.84650).

See also the description of this print offered by the British Museum: “Flat landscape with a couple carrying baskets in foreground with their dog, group of trees at left, a small river at right, a farmer with two horses in background; fourth state with address of Hendricx; after Rubens Engraving” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_R-5-42).

Condition: a strong and well-printed early impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate. Beyond a minor thin area verso, a small margin tear at upper-right and a flattened fold at upper-left corner, the sheet is in a remarkably fine condition for its considerable age.

I am selling this superb impression of a rare, beautiful and large engraving, for the total cost of AU$392 (currently US$262.01/EUR237.07/GBP208.69 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 purchasing this finely executed translation of a (now lost) painting by Rubens into engraved lines, 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

Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert’s engraving, “Landscape with Men and Women Dancing”, c1638, after Rubens

Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert (aka Scheltius à Bolswert) (c1586–1659)

“Landscape with Men and Women Dancing” (aka “Landschap met mannen en vrouwen die dansen”), c1638 (1596–1659), after Peter Paul Rubens’ (aka Petrus Paulus Rubenius) (1577–1640) painting, “Dance of Mythological Characters and Villagers” (1630–1635) in the Museo del Prado, Madrid (inv.no.P01691; https://www.museodelprado.es/e6e93efc-e851-41d9-bf9d-50e147babb30), published in Antwerp by Gillis Hendricx (aka Gilles Hendrikx) (fl.1640–1677).

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

Size: (support sheet) 40 x 53 cm; (sheet) 34 x 47.8 cm; (plate) 32.2 x 46 cm; (image borderline) 31 x 45.3 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Pet. Pau.l Rubens pinxit./ S. à Bolswert Sculpsit.”; (right)  “Gillis Hendricx excudit.”

State iv (of v) with the details of Gilles Hendricx as the publisher.

Hollstein 324 (F.W.H. Hollstein 1950, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts c.1450-1700: Boekhorst–Brueghel”, vol. 3, Amsterdam, Menno Hertzberger, p. 89, cat. no. 324).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print: (Transl.) “Landscape with merry company of men and women dancing to the music of a flute player sitting in a tree. The men try to steal kisses from the ladies” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.84660).

See also the description of this print offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_R-5-47.

Condition: a strong well-printed early impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. There are restored tears and nicks to the margin, otherwise the sheet is in a very good condition with no significant tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains.

I am selling this superb impression of a rare, very beautiful and large engraving—interestingly, Bolswert seems to have stretched Rubens' original design on the far left resulting in the dog shown in that area appearing to be without its front legs!—for the total cost of AU$456 (currently US$302.95/EUR285.35/GBP250.66 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 purchasing this masterwork of 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

Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert’s engraving, “Landscape with Milkmaids and Cows and Hunters”, c1638, after Rubens

Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert (aka Scheltius à Bolswert) (c1586–1659)

“Landscape with Milkmaids and Cows and Hunters” (aka “Landschap met Melkmeisjes en Koeien en Jagers”), c1638, from the series, “Small landscapes”, after Peter Paul Rubens (aka Petrus Paulus Rubenius) (1577–1640), published in Antwerp by Gillis Hendricx (aka Gilles Hendrikx) (fl.1640–1677).

Engraving on fine laid paper trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (support sheet) 41.7 x 53.4 cm; (sheet) 32.8 x 46.3 cm; (image borderline) 31.2 x 45.5 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Pet. Pau.l Rubens pinxit./ S. à Bolswert Sculpsit.”; (right)  “Gillis Hendricx excudit.”

Hollstein 323 (F.W.H. Hollstein 1950, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts c.1450-1700: Boekhorst–Brueghel”, vol. 3, Amsterdam, Menno Hertzberger, p. 89, cat. no. 323).

The British Museum and the Rijksmuseum offer descriptions of this print: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_R-5-46;  http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.84658.

Condition: a strong well-printed early impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper providing wide margins. There are restored nicks to the margin, otherwise the sheet is in a very good condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this superb impression of a rare, very beautiful and large engraving—note the hunter bizarrely shooting in the direction of milkmaids and cows—for the total cost of AU$383 (currently US$257.50/EUR257.03/GBP225.46 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 purchasing this masterwork of 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

Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert’s engraving, “Landscape with Well and Sun”, 1638, after Rubens

Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert (aka Scheltius à Bolswert) (c1586–1659)

“Landscape with Well and Sun”, 1638, plate 1 from the series of twenty prints, “Small Landscapes” (BM title), after the painting in the Musée du Louvre, Paris (inv. no. 2131), by Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640). This impression is from a later edition with all lettering erased apart from the plate number.

Regarding the series proposed by the British Museum (see inv. no. 1891,0414.1281), the Rijksmuseum advises: [transl.] “Hollstein describes a series of small landscapes under numbers 305 to 325, but these prints were not produced as a series” (see inv. no. RP-P-1907-2260).

Engraving on heavy laid paper (with lettered watermark) with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 38.8 x 50.3 cm; (plate) 29.5 x 42.7 cm; (image borderline) 28 x 42 cm.

Numbered in plate: (left) “1”.

State iii? (of iii?)—an undescribed state with all lettering erased. Hollstein only records two states, but there may be a shortfall with the Hollstein’s catalogue, as the Rijksmuseum comments with regard to an impression of this print that the museum holds: (transl.) “The states described at Hollstein do not seem to apply to this [the museum’s] print …” (inv. no. RP-P-1907-2260).

Hollstein Dutch 316 (FWH Hollstein 1950, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts ca. 1450–1700: Boekhorst–Brueghel”, vol. 3, Amsterdam, Menno Hertzberger, p. 89, cat. no. 316).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Landscape with a draw-well; a farmer with two horses in lower left, a large farmstead with a tower on a hill in left background; after Peter Paul Rubens. 1638 Engraving” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1891-0414-1281).

See also the descriptions of this print offered by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.84637; http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.84636;  http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.84638.

Condition: a strong and near faultless impression with generous margins. Verso shows remnants of previous mounting, otherwise the sheet (recto) is in excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, significant stains (there is a dot above the sun) or foxing.

I am selling this magnificent engraving, executed only two years before Rubens hung up his boots for the last time, showing a translation into line of Ruben’s painting of sunlight raking over a rural landscape, for the total cost of AU$466 (currently US$342.04/EUR290.94/GBP246.92 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 purchasing this early masterwork of 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