Johannes and Lucas van Doetecum, “Portal with Barrel Vault and a City Gate in the Background”, c.1560

Johannes van Doetecum I (aka Johannes van Doetechum the Elder; Joannes Doedecum; Joannes van Duetecum; Joannes van Doetecum) (fl.1551–1605), and/or his brother, Lucas van Doetecum (aka Lucas van Duetecom; Lucas van Duetecum; Lucas van Doetechum) (fl.1554–1572)

“Portal with Barrel Vault and a City Gate in the Background”, c.1560, plate 7 (as inscribed at lower right corner) from the series, “Architectural Perspectives in Oval Frames for Intarsia” (aka “Variae Architecturae Formae”) after the design by Hans Vredeman de Vries (1527–1606?). Initially published in Antwerp by Hieronymus Cock (aka Jérome Cock) (c.1517/8–1570) and later (as with this impression) by Theodoor Galle (aka Theodor Galle; Dirck Galle) (1571–1633), also in Antwerp. I understand that this and the other plates in the series were designed for wood inlay (intarsia) in panelling and furniture. 

Etching on laid paper with watermark.

Size: (sheet) 18.3 x 23.6 cm; (plate) 16.2 x 21.5 cm.

Inscribed on plate on entablature to the left and right of the barrel vault: (left) “VRIESI^. INVENT^.”; (right) “GALIE. EXCVD.”

State ii (of ii) with Theodoor Galle inscribed as the publisher.

Hollstein Dutch 58; New Hollstein Dutch 190.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression showing minor signs of wear to the printing plate. Beyond a few pencil notations, the sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds or significant stains.

I am offering this exceptional etching from Michelangelo’s lifetime, originally conceived as a design for wood inlay. Priced at AU$348 (approximately US$224.04 / EUR192.14 / GBP165.98 at current exchange rates), this price includes worldwide express postage and handling. Please note that any applicable import duties or taxes imposed by the destination country are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this remarkable Renaissance-era etching, which depicts a one-point perspective view through an architecturally intricate portal featuring a sprung arch with an oculus, leading to a distant building complex adorned with sculpted Hermes pilasters, please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly send you a PayPal invoice for a smooth and secure transaction.

This print has been sold

Johannes and Lucas van Doetecum’s etching, “Ruin of a Roman Amphitheatre”, 1562

Johannes van Doetecum I (aka Johannes van Doetechum the Elder; Joannes Doedecum; Joannes van Duetecum; Joannes van Doetecum) (fl.1551–1605) and his brother,

Lucas van Doetecum (aka Lucas van Duetecom; Lucas van Duetecum; Lucas van Doetechum) (fl.1554–1572)

“Ruin of a Roman Amphitheatre” (probably the Colosseum in Rome), 1562, from the series of twenty-one plates (including the title plate), “Operum Antiquorum Romanorum” (aka “The Small Book of Ruins”; full title transl., “This book contains the remains and ruins of the buildings of the ancient Romans built in various regions of Europe, to be admired for all times, faithfully and attractively depicted”), possibly after Hieronymus Cock (aka Jérome Cock) (c.1510–1570), initially published by Hieronymus Cock and later published in a numbered edition (this plate is number 11) by Frederick de Wit (aka Frederick de Widt; Frederick de Witt; Frederick de Witte) (1629/30–1706).

This impression is from the rare unnumbered first edition published by Hieronymus Cock in Antwerp in 1562.

Etching and engraving on laid paper, trimmed unevenly with a small margin around the plate mark and backed with a support sheet.
Size: (sheet) 21.8 x 16.1 cm; (plate) 21.3 x 15.7 cm; (image borderline) 21.2 x 15.4 cm.

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower left) "H. Cock ex. cum priuilegio/ Regis".

State i (of ii) lifetime impression before numbering.

Riggs 1977 113 (Timothy Riggs 1977, “Hieronymus Cock, Printmaker and Publisher”, New York, Garland Press); New Hollstein (Dutch & Flemish) 244.I (The Van Doetecum Family) (Henk Nalis [comp.] 1998, The New Hollstein : Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450—1700: The Van Doetecum Family”, Rotterdam, Sound and Vision Interactive).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“View of Roman ruins with two barrel vaults resting on an unsupported lintel at centre, probably the Colosseum, one figure in foreground; second state with number; perhaps after Hieronymus Cock”

(https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3029841&partId=1&searchText=Doetecum+&page=1).

See also the discussion about the series (“Operum Antiquorum Romanorum”) in Joris van Grieken’s (et al.) 2013, “Hieronymus Cock: The Renaissance in Print” (New Haven, Yale University Press), pp. 102–03.

Condition: richly inked and well-printed impression trimmed unevenly with a small margin around the platemark and laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in good condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds or abrasions) with minor marks/stains (e.g. there is a discolouration in the sky) and signs of handling.

I am selling this exceptionally rare impression from the first edition published in Michelangelo’s lifetime for AU$430 in total (currently US$273.68/EUR251.59/GBP218.81 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 Renaissance period etching of what is believed to a portion of the barrel-vaulted arcade in the Colosseum, 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

Johannes and Lucas van Doetecum's engraving, “Daniel Feeding the Dragon”, 1585

Johannes van Doetecum I (1528/32–1605) and

Lucas van Doetecum (fl.1554–1572) (see The Met no. 57.572.14)

“Daniel Feeding the Dragon”, 1585, plate 5 (as inscribed on plate) from the series, "Thesaurus Sacrarum Historiarum veteris testamenti, elegantissimis imaginabus expressum excellentissimorum in hac arte virorum opera: nunc primum in lucem editus", after Hans Vredeman de Vries (aka Jan Vredeman de Vries) (1527–1606?), first published by Gerard de Jode (aka Geeraert de Jode; Geerart de Jode; Gheerde de Jode; Girard de Jode; Gerardo de Jode; Gheraerde de Jode) (1516/17–1591) in 1585 and by Claes Jansz. Visscher II (1587–1652) in 1643 in Amsterdam. This impression is from the first edition, signified by the plate number “5”, which is erased and replaced with the number “6” in the later edition.

Engraving and etching on laid paper with margins on all sides except for the right side where the print has been trimmed along (or slightly within) the plate mark. The engraving is backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 26.5 x 34.3 cm; (platemark/image borderline trimmed on right) 24 x 33.2 cm.

Lettered on plate within the image borderline: (upper edge) “Obiecta serpens moritur Babylonicus ossa, Numinis hinc in eo constat adesse nihil./ Danielis, i4.”; (lower edge left of centre) “.5."

Inscribed by an old hand in ink: (upper right margin) “101.”

State ii (of iii) Lifetime impression before the addition of the word, “apocrÿph” (apocryphal) following the biblical reference, “Danielis, i4.”, the deletion of the plate number, “5”, and the addition of the number “6” at the lower right corner.

Mielke 38 (H Mielke 1975, “Antwerper Graphik in the 2. Hälfte des 16. Jahrhunderts. The Thesaurus veteris Testamenti de Gerard de Jode (1585) and seine Künstler “, Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte 38, p. 81, cat. 38); New Hollstein Dutch 782 (Van Doetechum) (Henk J Nalis [comp.] 1998, “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: The Van Doetecum Family”, vol. 3, Rotterdam, Sound and Vision, pp. 213–14, cat. no. 782); Hollstein Dutch 458 (Hans Vredeman de Vries) (Peter Fuhring [comp.] 1997, “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: Vredeman de Vries: Part II, 1572–1630”, vol. 48, Rotterdam, Sound and Vision Rijksprentenkabinet, pp. 103–04, cat. no. 458).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print from the third state:

(transl.) “Daniel stands with King Cyrus by the dragon of Babylon, who is worshiped by the Babylonian people. Daniel refuses to worship the dragon and asks the king for permission to kill the dragon without a sword or stick. Daniel is ready to feed the dragon a cake of fat, tar and bones. Therefore the dragon will be torn open inside and die.”

(http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.411234)

The British Museum offers the following description of a hand-coloured version of this print:

“At centre, Daniel, the King and other figures seen before a fuming dragon, one m[a]n bowing; a square with sumptuous buildings seen behind.”

(https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1633282&partId=1&searchText=Vredeman+de+Vries&page=1)

See also the description of this print offered by the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/658584?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Johannes+van+Doetecum+I&offset=0&rpp=80&pos=63.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the Old Testament verses, Daniel 14:23-27, that this engraving illustrates, the following translation (NRSVACE) may be helpful:

“Now in that place[a] there was a great dragon, which the Babylonians revered. The king said to Daniel, ‘You cannot deny that this is a living god; so worship him.’ Daniel said, ‘I worship the Lord my God, for he is the living God. But give me permission, O king, and I will kill the dragon without sword or club.’ The king said, ‘I give you permission. Then Daniel took pitch, fat, and hair, and boiled them together and made cakes, which he fed to the dragon. The dragon ate them, and burst open. Then Daniel said, ‘See what you have been worshipping!’”

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel+14%3A23-42&version=NRSVACE)

Condition: strong and well-printed impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate, trimmed along (or slightly within) the right platemark and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in very good condition for its considerable age but with a repaired lower left corner.

I am selling this strong lifetime impression showing Daniel about to feed a cake make from pitch, fat, and hair to a dragon worshipped by Babylonians as a god with plan to make the revered dragon explode, for AU$380 in total (currently US$264.13/EUR236.82/GBP201.68 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 acquiring this curiously interesting engraving with an early depiction of a dragon created only 44 years after Michelangelo put down his brushes after painting “The Last Judgement”—and this is a lifetime impression from the time!—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