Hendrik Pola’s etching, “Statue of Hercules with the Celestial Vault”, c1710

Hendrik Pola (aka Heinrich Pola) (1676–1748)

“Statue of Hercules with the Celestial Vault” (aka “Standbeeld van Hercules met het hemelgewelf”; “Hercules Relieving Atlas of the Globe”), c1710 (Rijksmuseum dating c1705–c1713), published in The Hague.

Note that the portrayed sculpture possibly references the marble “Farnese Atlas”—a Roman copy of a Greek sculpture of the 2nd cent. BCE—but there are significant differences (see http://www.electrummagazine.com/2016/09/the-farnese-atlas/). Regarding historical precedents for referencing the “Farnese Atlas”, Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472–1553) executed a pen and ink drawing, “Hercules Relieving Atlas of the Globe”, c1530 (NGA collection; see https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.106369.html), that was no doubt also inspired by this sculpture.

Etching with engraving on laid paper, trimmed with a small margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 29.5 x 16.1 cm; (plate) 28.2 x 15.4 cm; (image borderline) 27.9 x 14.8 cm.

Inscribed in plate with the artist’s monogram of ligature initials: (lower left corner) “HP[/R].F[ecit]”

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print:

(Transl.) “Landscape with statue of Hercules who temporarily takes over the burden of Atlas' vault of heaven when the latter fetches for him the golden apples of the Hesperides. He wears a lion skin around his shoulders” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.165848).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression with a small margin around the platemark and laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is age-toned, otherwise it is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this finely executed and exceptionally rare etching—in fact, I have been unable to fine another copy of this print with the artist’s monogram in any of the major repositories!—for the total cost of AU$322 (currently US$238.10/EUR205.93/GBP176.65 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 very beautiful etching, 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 

Johann Kenckel’s mezzotint of Martin Luther’s wife, c.1715

Johann Kenckel (aka Johann Kenkel) (1688–1722)

“Portrait of Katharina of Bora”— wife of Martin Luther—(aka “Catharina aus dem Adelichen Geschlecht derer von Bore” [title on plate]), c.1715 (1708–22), after Lucas Cranach the Elder (c.1472–1553), published by Christoph Weigel (1654–1725) in Nuremberg.

Mezzotint with early hand-colouring trimmed with a small margin and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 38.1 x 27.5 cm; (plate) 35.8 x 25.5 cm; (image borderline) 32.5 x 25.5 cm.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline:

(left) “Lucas Kranach pinx”;

(centre) “Catharina aus dem Adelichen Geschlecht derer von Bore,/ ward gebohren A.1499. rerließ mit Acht andern Gaistlichen Schwestern A:1523. das Gistercienser Closter Nimptsch beÿ Grimma, ward A. 1525./ den 13 Junu durch D. Foh. Bugenhagen , Pomeranum , Pfarrern in Wittenberg. D.Martin Luthern Professorn daselbst chelich angetrauct, zeugte mit ihm/ Sechs Kinder, als dreÿ Söhne und so viel Töchter, namentlich: A.1526.d.7. Jun. Johannem, A.1527.Elisabetham, A.1529. in rigil. Ascens. Magda =/ lenam, A.1531. d.7. Nov. Martinum, A. 1533. d.28. Jan. Paulum. und A. 1534. Margaretham, hielte ihrem Eheherrn allezeitals ein fromm treuc ehr =/ liches lGemahl liebund werth mard A.1546. d. 18. Fébr: zur Witme, und starb A.1552. d.20.Dacembr zu Torgan im 53, ten jahr ihres alters,woselbst sie auch in der Pfarr Kirche begraben/ Christ Weigel ex:” 

([Google transl.] Catharina from the Adelichen family of those of Bore, / was born A.1499. left with eight other Gaistliche sisters A: 1523. the Gistercienser Closter Nimptsch beÿ Grimma, A. 1525. / 13th June was by D. Foh. Bugenhagen, Pomeranum, pastors in Wittenberg. D.Martin Luthern professor there chelich, fathered with him / six children, as three sons and so many daughters, namely: A.1526.d.7. Jun. Johannem, A.1527. Elizabetham, A.1529. in rigorous. Ascens. Magda = / lenam, A.1531. d.7. Nov. Martinum, A. 1533. d.28. Jan Paulum. and A. 1534. Margaretham, always considered her husband to be a piously faithful honest husband Liebund werth mard A.1546. d. 18. Fébr: to Witme, and died A.1552. d.20.Dacembr zu Torgan in the 53rd year of their age, where they are also buried in the parish church / Christ Weigel ex:); 

(right) “Joh: Kenckel fecit”.

The British Museum offers a description of this print:

https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3283233&partId=1&searchText=Christoph+Weigel+&page=1.

Condition: strong impression with delicate early hand-colouring and the initial guide lines for lettering of the artist’s name still clear—suggesting that this is possibly a lifetime impression—with small margins laid onto a support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. There are small restored chips to the edges and corners of the sheet and minor restorations of a few light abrasions to the delicate surface of the mezzotint, otherwise the sheet is in very good condition for its considerable age (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds or significant stains).

I am selling this exceptionally rare mezzotint portrait of Martin Luther’s wife for the total cost of AU$300 (currently US$182.61/EUR166.80/GBP147.23 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 this  technically superb masterpeice of mezzotint showing Martin Luther’s wife gently smiling—to my eyes, an almost Mona Lisa-like enigmatic smile—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Lucas Cranach the Elder’s woodcut, “St Jerome in Penitence”

Lucas Cranach the Elder (c.1472–1553)

“St Jerome in Penitence”, 1509 (lower fragment of the original large print)

Woodcut on laid paper on a support sheet. This impression is the trimmed lower section of the complete print (see the whole print at the British Museum: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1419405&partId=1&searchText=Cranach&page=1)

Size: (sheet) 17.7 x 23.3 cm

Inscribed with the artist’s initials and the date of execution on the tablet shown lower left.

Hollstein 84 (Hollstein, F W H, “German engravings, etchings and woodcuts c.1400-1700”, Amsterdam, 1954; Dodgson 1903, 1911 II.295.60 (Dodgson, Campbell, “Catalogue of Early German and Flemish Woodcuts in the BM”, 2 vols, London, British Museum Trustees, 1903); Bartsch VII.284.63 (Bartsch, Adam, “Le Peintre graveur”, 21 vols, Vienna, 1803)

Condition: strong impression (possibly a life time impression based on the crispness of the line) in poor condition with soiling, stains, loses and consolidations (verso) overlaid with a fine conservator’s support sheet.

I am selling this exceptionally rare woodcut print by one of the most famous German Renaissance artists, Lucas Cranach the Elder, for AU$579 in total (currently US$438.64/EUR393.37/GBP337.79 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world. If you are interested in purchasing this woodcut created in 1509, 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

Although this exceptionally rare woodcut print by one of the truly great German Renaissance artists, needs a conservator’s support sheet to ensure that it will last another millennium, the image itself is worth close examination as there are so many interesting details. For example, the magnificent lion shown in the foreground—the lion is a symbolic attribute of St Jerome after he lovingly extracted a thorn from its paw—is portrayed twitching its tail as it looks directly at the viewer. This twitching movement of the tail, of course, plays a significant role in the biblical story of St Jerome. Essentially, the way the lion wags its tail is its way of communicating with the saint. The notion of small movements is also captured in other details to be seen further into the distance. Note for instance, Cranach’s representation of a small waterfall behind the saint and the curious billowing movement of Christ’s loin cloth in St Jerome’s vision of him crucified.