François Dequevauviller, “Portrait de Nicolas Kratzer Astronome”, after Hans Holbein the Younger

François Dequevauviller (aka Nicolas Barthélemi François Dequevauviller) (1745–1807)

Although the British Museum attributes of this print to Nicolas Barthélemi François Dequevauviller, there may be a case to attribute the engraving to Nicolas Barthélemi François Dequevauviller’s son, François Jacques Dequevauvillier (1783–1848).

“Portrait de Nicolas Kratzer Astronome”—(1486/7–after 1550) a mathematician, astronomer and maker of sundials, appointed as the royal astronomer to Henry VIII (see National Portrait Gallery inv. no. 5245), c.1798 (BM dates, 1789–1807), after the intermediary design by Giuseppe Anastasi (c.1732–after 1810?), after the painting in the Musée du Louvre (as inscribed in plate) of Nicolas Kratzer dated in the painting, 1528. by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1497–1543), published in the second half of the 1800s in Paris by Félix Hermet. (1845–1894) as plate 2 in a series of 73 engravings

Engraving on buff coloured chine collé on heavy wove paper.

Size: (sheet) 58.5 x 39.7cm; (plate) 50.3 x 36cm; (chine collé) 28.8 x 34.7cm; (image borderline) 25 x 20.1cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Peint par Holbein (Jean)/ FÉLIX HERMET Imprimeur Editeur PARIS.”; (centre) “Dessiné par Anastasi./ PORTRAIT DE NICHOLAS KRATZER ASTRONOME./ ECÖLE ALLEMANDE/ 2”;  (right) “Gravé par Dequevauvillers./ MUSÉE DU LOUVRE.”

O'Donoghue 1 (Marius Freeman O'Donoghue 1908, “Catalogue of engraved British portraits preserved in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum”, vol. 2, London, British Museum, Dept. of Prints and Drawings, p. 714, cat. no. 1 [ KRATZER, NICHOLAS] [see https://archive.org/details/catalogueofengra02brit/page/n723/mode/2up]).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print before the publisher details for Félix Hermet: “Portrait of Nicholas Kratzer, half-length, slightly turned to the right, seated at a table with a decagon in one hand and a pair of compasses in the other, dressed in an academic gown over his doublet with a soft cap on his head, other scientific instruments hung on the wall behind and lying on the table, illustration to the 'Musee Royal'” (BM inv. no. 1853,1008.185).

Condition: a very strong and near faultless impression in near pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains or signs of handling.

I am selling this huge engraving in a near pristine condition showing Nicolas Kratzer surrounded with the tools of his trade (e.g., measuring devices, bits of a gnomon [sundial], a burin and scissors)—for those wondering about the  letter beside him, the Latin inscription in Holbein’s painting reads: (transl. [NPG 5245])  “The portrait of Nicolaus Kratzer of Munich, a Bavarian, taken from life when he was completing his forty-first year./ 1528”—for AU$279 in total (currently US$183.08/EUR168.84/GBP141.70 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$279) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this simply magnificent engraving executed with the highest order of skill, 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

Henry Augustin Valentin, “Le Christ Mort”, 1879, after Hans Holbein the Younger (2nd copy)

Henry Augustin Valentin (1822–1886)

“Le Christ Mort” (title inscribed on plate), 1879, after Hans Holbein the Younger’s (c.1497–1543) oil and tempera painting, “The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb” (1520–22) in the Musée de Bâle (Öffentliche Kunstsammlung, Basel), printed by Albert Quantin (1850–1930) and published in 1879 in Paris in the “Gazette des Beaux-Arts”, vol. 44, insert between pp. 98–99.

Regarding Holbein’s painting, Wikipedia cites the interesting proposal by the art historians, Oscar Bätschmann and Pascal Griener, that Christ's raised and extended middle finger appears to "reach towards the beholder", while his strands of hair "look as if they are breaking through the surface of the painting" (Oskar Bätschmann, & Pascal Griener 1999, “Hans Holbein”, London, Reaktion Books, p. 88 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Body_of_the_Dead_Christ_in_the_Tomb]).

Etching on wove paper with flatten gatefold and full margins as published, backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 28 x 35.7 cm; (plate) 12.8 x 35 cm; (outer image borderline) 7.9 x 32 cm.

Lettered in plate along the upper edge of the image: “IESVS·NAZARENVS·REX·IVDAEORVM” (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews).

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Hans Holbein pinx/ Gazette des Beaux-Arts”; (centre) “LE CHRIST MORT/ (Musée de Bâle); (right) “H. Valentin sculp/ Imp. A Quantin”.

Condition: a richly inked and near faultless impression with generous margins laid upon a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper (to enable the gatefold crease to be flattened). The sheet is in a near pristine condition with no tears, holes, abrasions, foxing or significant stains.

I am selling this visually arresting etching of Holbein’s famous painting of Christ’s entombed body stretched by crucifixion with eyes and mouth open, for the total cost of AU$246 (currently US$163.46/EUR151.54/GBP126.47 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$246) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this grim but superb etching, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Note that this is the second impression of this marvellous etching that I have listed. The previous copy has been sold.

This print has been sold

Carl Agricola, “Virgin and Child”, 1809. after Hans Holbein the Younger

Carl Agricola (aka Carl Joseph Aloys Agricola; Karl Josef Aloys Agricola; Carl Joseph Alois Agricola) (1779–1852)

“Virgin and Child” (aka “Maria mit dem Kinde” [Andresen title]; “Mary with the Child”), 1809, after Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/98–1543).

Etching with stipple engraving on fine wove (Japon) paper, trimmed with a small margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 13.7 x 11.2 cm; (platemark) 11.5 x 9.8 cm; (image borderline) 11.2 x 8.7 cm.

Inscribed in plate outside the image borderline: (left edge) “Hans Holbein pinx. amno 1567”; (right edge) “C. Agricola sc. 1809.”

And. 8 (Andreas Andresen 1870, “Handbuch für kupferstichsammler” [Handbook for Copperplate Collectors], vol. 1, Leipzig, T. O. Weigel, p. 7, cat. no. 8 [see https://archive.org/details/handbuchfrkupfe00andrgoog/page/6/mode/2up]).  

See also the descriptions of this print offered by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Harvard Art Museums: https://philamuseum.org/collection/object/10755 & https://hvrd.art/o/277189.

Condition: a strong and well-printed (near faultless) impression with a small margin around the platemark and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins. The sheet is in an excellent condition for its considerable age with no tears, holes, folds or significant stains.

I am selling this sensitively executed and rare etching for AU$246 in total (currently/approximately US$167.86/ EUR150.22/ GBP126.03 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$246) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this exceptionally beautiful etching, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Félix Bracquemond’s etching, “Didier Erasme”, 1863, after Holbein

Félix Bracquemond (aka Joseph Auguste Félix Bracquemond) (1833–1914)

“Didier Erasme” (aka “Érasme” [BM title]), 1863, after Hans Holbein the Younger’s (1497/8–1543) “Portrait of Erasmus”, 1523, in the collection of the Musée du Louvre, Paris (inv.no.1345) (see https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hans_Holbein_d._J._-_Erasmus_-_Louvre.jpg), printed by the Chalcographie du Louvre.

Etching on cream chine collé on heavy wove paper with huge margins and blind-stamped with the seal of the Chalcographie du Louvre.

Size: (sheet) 69.3 x 55 cm; (plate) 32.1 x 25.5 cm; (chine collé) 30.6 x 23.9 cm; (image borderline) 24.8 x 19.9 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “H. Holbein pint.”; (centre) “CHALCOGRAPHIE DU LOUVRE/ Didier Erasme”; (right) “Bracquemond sc.”

Blind-stamped with the seal of the Chalcographie du Louvre at lower centre.

Final state xi (of xi) with the name of the Chalcographie du Louvre added (Beraldi offers descriptions of the previous ten states).

Beraldi 39 (Henri Béraldi 1885, “Les Graveurs du XIXe Siècle: Guide de l'Amateur d'Estampes Modernes: Bracquemond”, vol. III, Paris, Librairie L Conquet, p. 27, cat. no. 39 [Portraits]).

The British Museum offers a description of this print: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1923-0714-155.

Condition: a richly inked and mostly well-printed impression—note that there are ink dots on Érasme’s chin—with enormous margins. There are minor tears and marks in the margin edges, otherwise this is a simply magnificent impression with no major issues.

I am selling this masterwork of etching after Holbein’s famous portrait of the Dutch philosopher and Catholic theologian, Erasmus (aka Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus), for AU$257 in total (currently US$183.13/EUR161.77/GBP137.29 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 marvellous (and huge) etching—note that I have listed an etching by Henri Lefort reproducing the same painting by Holbein that may be interesting to compare—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

Henri Lefort’s etching, “Érasme”, c1879, after Holbein

Henri Lefort (aka Henri Émile Lefort) (1852–1916)

“Érasme”, c1879, illustration to Paul Mantz’s (1821–1895) “Hans Holbein” (insert between pages 60 and 61, published in 1879 in Paris by the Société Française d'éditions d'Art, printed by Albert Quantin (aka Albert Marie Jérôme Quantin; Ancienne Maison Quantin) (1850–1930), after the painting by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/8–1543), “Portrait of Erasmus”, 1523, in the collection of the Musée du Louvre, Paris (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hans_Holbein_d._J._-_Erasmus_-_Louvre.jpg).

Archive.org offers an online view of the publication in which this etching features: see https://archive.org/details/gri_33125001460142/page/n128/mode/2up.

Mantz (1879) in the footnote to page 60 in this publication, proposes that Holbein made a silverpoint and chalk study from direct observation of Erasmus’ hands. What is shamefully interesting for me, is that Erasmus—arguably one of the greatest scholars of the northern Renaissance—had what all great thinkers have (in translation) “slightly bitten nails.”

Etching printed in a warm black ink on cream laid paper with full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 41.8 x 29 cm; (plate) 25.4 x 21.6 cm; (image borderline) 21 x 17.2 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “H LEFORT d'après HOLBEIN”; (right) “Imp. A. Quantin”.

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed (faultless) impression in pristine condition (i.e., there are no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of use) with generously wide margins as published.

I am selling this exceptionally fine etching of Holbein’s famous portrait of the Dutch philosopher and Catholic theologian, Erasmus (aka Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus), for AU$207 in total (currently US$149.82/EUR132.60/GBP111.47 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 superb, museum quality impression of a seldom seen etching 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 print has been sold