Jan van Vliet, “Touch”, c1634

Jan van Vliet (aka Jan Georg van Vliet; Jan Joris van Vliet) (c1600/1610–1668?)

“Touch”, c1634, from the series of five plates, “The Five Senses”, published by Clement de Jonghe (aka Clemendt de Ionghe) (1624/25–1677).

Etching and engraving on laid paper trimmed along the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 24.4 x 20 cm

Inscribed in plate: (lower left) “JG [entwined]. v. vliet fec. Clemendt de Ionghe excud.”

State iii (of iii) with the addition of Clement de Jonghe as the publisher.

Hollstein 30.III (Christiaan Schuckman [comp.] 1992, “Hollstein’s Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts c.1450–1700: Johannes [de] Visscher to Robert van Voerst”, Roosendaal, Koninklijke van Poll, vol. XLI, p. 172, cat. no. 30. III).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “A physician's surgery with the doctor kneeling in foreground as he operates on the leg of the male figure flinching with pain at right; another figure looking on; on the back wall a shelf with various vessels and medical instruments; a tortoise and a dog at far left; from a series of five plates. c.1634/ Etching and engraving” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_Sheepshanks-199).

Note that Cornelis Dusart presents a similar scene of medical intervention in his etching, “The Cupping-Glass”, executed around sixty years after Jan van Vliet’s etching; see https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2023/05/cornelis-dusarts-etching-cupping-glass.html.

Condition: a strong and well printed impression trimmed around the image borderline and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains.

I am selling this superb etching exemplifying perfectly the sense of touch—mindful that this print is from the series of the five senses—by showing a patient screaming in pain (or “flinching” as the British Museum describes the scene), for AU$422 (equivalent to approximately US$275, EUR 241.26, or GBP 202.65 at the time of listing) and includes Express Mail Service (EMS) postage and handling to any worldwide destination. Please note that any import duties or taxes levied by the destination country, if any, are the responsibility of the buyer and are not included in the purchase price. Payment is requested in Australian dollars (AU$422).

If you are interested in purchasing this marvellous etching by one of the most famous of the Dutch old masters and a collaborator with Rembrandt (see “Rembrandt and van Vliet. A Collaboration on Copper”, exh. cat., 1996), 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

Nicolaes Berchem’s etching, “Three Goats” (2nd impression)

Nicolaes Berchem (aka Nicolaes Pietersz. Berchem; Nicolaes Berchen; Niclas Berghem; Claes Berighem; Nicolaes Pietersz.Berrighem) (1624–1683)

For those interested in the origins of names, I have always believed the old story that Nicholaes Berchem had acquired his name from the cries of his mates who yelled, “Berg hem! Berg hem!” (Save him! Save him!), when Nicolaes was trying to escape the wrath and a beating from his father—the famous still-life painter, Pieter Claesz. Although I still love this story, the truth may be much less colourful as I have now read an interesting article by Michael Prodger (2020) who explains: “Berchem is the name of his father’s home town” (see “The greats outdoors: How Nicolaes Berchem offered vistas of a golden Arcadia …” [https://www.newstatesman.com/long-reads/2020/05/greats-outdoors-how-nicolaes-berchem-offered-vistas-golden-arcadia]).

“Three Goats” (aka “Un Jeune Bouc vu par derrière …” [Bartsch title]), c1650 (1648–1652), from the series of eight plates (including the title plate) showing various animals, “Animalia” (aka “Animals”; “Animalia ad vivum delineata et aqua forti aeri impressa Studio et Arte Nicolai Berchemi”; “A Man’s Sketchbook II” [TIB title]), published in the third state by Clement de Jonghe (aka Clemendt Ionghe; Clement de Jonge) (1624/25–1677) in Amsterdam.

The Curator of the British Museum offers the following insights about this print: “Although this print does not bear the artist's name, it was probably made by Berchem since other prints from this series show his name. This is first state which is unfinished in many parts … (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1957-0530-108). See also the description of the title plate (frontispiece) to the series offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_Sheepshanks-3929.

Etching on laid paper.

Size: (sheet) 12.4 x 14.5 cm; (plate) 10.1 x 11.4 cm.

State i (of vii) before the addition of the letter “b” in the top right corner, the number “5” in the lower left corner and the repeat of the number "5" in the lower right corner.

TIB 7(5).52(280) (Otto Naumann 1978, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists”, vol. 7, New York, Abaris Books, p. 79, cat. no. 53 [ 280]); Hollstein Dutch 53.I.

See also: Pieter Biesboer et al. 2006, “Nicolaes Berchem: In the Light of Italy”, Haarlem, Frans Hals Museum, pp. 124–25, cat. no. P83.

The Rijksmuseum offers a description of this print from the third state: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.38107.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Three he-goats. A he-goat standing in the centre seen from the back and his face turned in profile to the left, a recumbent goat to the left, a bleating goat standing in the background; unfinished in many parts; from a series of eight plates showing various animals/ Etching” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1957-0530-108).

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed (near faultless) impression with reasonably wide margins (varying between .8 to 1.9 cm) around the platemark. The sheet is in a near pristine/museum quality condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing

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

I am selling this magnificent first state (lifetime) impression of three he-goats on a grassy mound—note how Berchem has varied the depth of the etched lines separating the foreground goats from the one further back so that the more distant goat appears lighter in tone—for the total cost of AU$308 (currently US$205.87/EUR186.27/GBP163.97 at the time of posting 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.

If you are interested in purchasing this sensitively executed and subtly animated 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

Pieter Soutman's etching, “The Birth of Venus”, 1620–1624, after Rubens

Pieter Soutman (aka Pieter Claesz Soutman) (1580–1657) and workshop

“The Birth of Venus” (aka “Venus Orta Mari”), 1620–1624, after a painting by Peter Paul Rubens (aka Petrus Paulus Rubenius) (1577–1640), published by Pieter Soutman and Clement de Jonghe (aka Clement de Jonge; Clemendt Ionghe) (1624/25–1677) in Amsterdam.

Regarding Ruben’s painting, the Curator of the BM advises that its “present whereabouts [is] unknown (Rooses 686) …. [but that a] “copy is in Potsdam” (see BN no. 1873,0809.8140).

Nico van Hout (ed.) 2004, in “Copyright Rubens” (Ludion, Uitgeverij), offers the following insights into the Ruben’s painting and a description of Soutman’s print:

(transl.) “An inventory of Honselaarsdijk Castle describes the painting that forms the basis of this etching as 'A Sea Triumph by Venus Neptune and Amphitrites and a part of the sea gods by Rubens'. The canvas was bought by William III of Orange-Nassau (1650-1702) for 950 pounds. It is likely that the work was already in Holland before and that Soutman had it with him when he started his etching. In “The Birth of Venus” we see how the goddess rises from the foam of the surf, surrounded by Neptune and his wife Amphitrite and by nereids with beautifully shaped shells and pearls. Triton, Neptune's son, provides the necessary sound by blowing on a large shell. A number of cheerfully looking putti fly after the goddess” (p. 144; see also the illustration of Soutman’s print in its first state, p. 143).

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

Size: (sheet) 40.3 x 48.8 cm; (image borderline) 38.7 x 49.1 cm.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: “P. P. Rubens pinxit. / Clement de Jonghe Excudit”; (centre) “Venus orta mari.”; (right) “P. Soutman delin. et excud. Cum Privil.”

State iii (of iii) with the addition of the publication details for Clement de Jonghe and the erasure of the plate number (“2”).

Schneevoogt 1873 124.39 (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”, Haarlem, p. 124, cat. no. 39); Hollstein Dutch 12-3 (3); Nagler 22 (noted as very rare).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print in its first state:

“The Birth of Venus; seascape with the naked goddess rising from the sea at centre and arranging her hair; surrounded by Nereids and tritons, one of the nymphs offering a pearl necklace to the goddess in lower left; Neptune and Amphitrite at far left; putti on clouds above…”

https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3163241&partId=1&searchText=Pieter+Soutman++venus&page=1 .

See also the description of this print at the Rijksmuseum its second state:

“Venus rises from the foam and squeezes her hair. Sea creatures offer her shells and pearl strings, while Neptune watches. Putti play in the clouds.”

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.346291

Condition: strong impression, trimmed along the platemark and laid upon an archival support of (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet has small restored tears along the edges (including a reattached lower left corner), beyond these addressed issues the sheet is in excellent condition for its age (i.e. there are no holes, folds, significant stains—but there are two dot marks—or foxing).

I am selling this large etching of the utmost rarity executed in Ruben’s lifetime, for a total cost of AU$566 (currently US$386.98/EUR351.03/GBP314.40 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 major etching seldom seen on the art-market from the early 1600s, 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