Robert Boissard’s engravings, “Adamus Lonicerus”; “Heinricus Cornelius Agrippa”; “Franciscus Modius”, 1595–99

Robert Boissard (c.1570–c.1601)

“Adamus Lonicerus”; “Heinricus Cornelius Agrippa”; “Franciscus Modius”, 1595–99, from a series of fifty portraits of luminaries after intermediary drawings by Jean Jacques Boissard (1528/33–1598/1602), published in Frankfurt by Johann Theodor de Bry (1561–1623) and Johann Israel de Bry (1565–1609), printed by Matthaeus Beckerus (fl.1573–1606) in “Icones Virorum Illustrium” (aka “Icones quinquaginta virorum illustrium doctrina & eruditione praestantium ad vivum effictae, cum eorum vitis descriptis a Ian Iac. Boisardo Vesunti” (1597–99).

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LEFT

“Adamus Lonicerus”— (1528–1586) a German physician and botanist (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Lonicer).

Engraving on fine laid paper.

Size (sheet) 19.2 x 13.5 cm; (plate) 14.2 x 10.8 cm; (image borderline) 14 x 10.4 cm.

Signed on plate with monogram (R and B intertwined).

Inscribed on plate: (upper arch) “ADAMVS LONICERVS Med. Phijsic’ Francs ad Moenum.”; (tablet) “Nasc. Marpurg. 10 Octob./ Ao. 1528./ Obijt Francs ad Moen’/19 Maÿ, Ao, 1586.”; (text box) “Hebarum Scribis Solerti indagine vires, Nn 4/ est labor, est multæ cognitionis opous, fabr.”

Condition: strong impression with margins. There is a chip to the lower left of the sheet and there is a pencil notation recto and verso otherwise the sheet is in excellent condition.

The engraving in its published context may be viewed on page 304 (text); page 939 (online):

https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RyxRAAAAcAAJ/page/n939/mode/2up.

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CENTRE

“Heinricus Cornelius Agrippa”— (1486–1535) a German polymath, physician, legal scholar, soldier, theologian, and occult writer (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Cornelius_Agrippa).

Engraving on fine laid paper.

Size (sheet) 19 x 12.2 cm; (plate) 13.5 x 9.3 cm.

Inscribed on plate: (upper arch) “HEINRICUS CORNELIUS AGRIPPA Med, & IC.EQU.”; (tablet) “Nascitur Colon,/ Agrip,/ Obijt Anno 1538.”; (text box) “Stemmate natus Eques, Medicus Magus atq[ue] Peritus/ Juris et Imperij consul Agrippa fuj. Oo 4”.

Condition: strong impression with margins in excellent condition—there is a pencil note recto and verso from a previous collector.

The engraving in its published context may be viewed on page 196 (text); page 613 (online):

https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RyxRAAAAcAAJ/page/n613.

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RIGHT

“Franciscus Modius” — (1556–1597) a Bruges Lawyer, humanist, philologist and poet (see https://kalliope-verbund.info/de/eac?eac.id=119064227).

Engraving on fine laid paper.

Size (sheet) 19.1 x 13.7 cm; (plate) 14.4 x 10.8 cm; (image borderline) 14.1 x 10.6 cm.

Inscribed on plate: (upper arch) “FRANCISCUS MODIUS Brugenfis IC. & Pocta”; (tablet) “Nafc Brugs in/ Ao/ Obyt/Ao.”; (text box) “MODIUS hic modium Juris compleverat omnem,/ Quam Vitc modius plenior ante forct./ Kk.3”.

Condition: strong impression with margins in excellent condition—there are pencil notes recto and verso from a previous collector and a spot visible verso only.

The engraving in its published context may be viewed on page 6 (text); page 986 (online):

https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RyxRAAAAcAAJ/page/n985/mode/2up.

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I am selling this engraved set of three illustrious German men from the 1500s for a total cost of AU$360 (currently US$235.37/EUR215.81/GBP193.47 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing these early portrait engravings rarely seen on the art market, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This set of prints has been sold

Johann Theodor de Bry’s engravings, “Weapon Templates”, c.1590

Johann Theodor de Bry (aka Jan Dirk de Bry) (1561–1623)

Five engravings “Weapon Templates with Helmets and Leaf Tendrils, c.1590 from the series, “Emblemata Saecularia” (Secular Emblems), published by Johan Theodoor and Johan Israel de Bry (c.1565–c.1609) in 1596 in Frankfurt am Main.

Bayerische Staats Bibliothek offers images of many of the pages in “Emblemata Saecularia”:

https://bildsuche.digitale-sammlungen.de/index.html?c=band_segmente&bandnummer=bsb00024751&pimage=00156&l=en.

Engravings on separate sheets of laid paper with small margins and backed upon a single support sheet.

Size of the lower-left engraving (for comparison of sizes): (sheet) 10.9 x 8.7 cm; (plate) 9 x 7.2 cm.

Hollstein Dutch 240–287 (F.W.H. Hollstein 1951, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: Brun– Coques”, vol. 4, Amsterdam, Menno Hertzberger, p. 38, cat. nos. 240–287).

The Rijksmuseum offers a description of the upper right engraving:

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.473165.

Condition: strong impressions with small margins around the platemarks, laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. There are pencil notations (recto) from an earlier collector below each engraving and the two upper-right prints have marks from use including a replenished chip (virtually invisible) to the left margin of the further right print.

I am selling this exceptionally rare set of five engravings with blank armorial escutcheons, for the total cost of AU$300 (currently US$192.69/EUR175.44/GBP154.23 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 these template designs from the late 1500s, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.