Lorenzo Loli’s etching, “Coat of Arms of Guasta Vilani”, c1645, after Giovanni Andrea Sirani

Lorenzo Loli (1612–1691)

“Coat of Arms of Guasta Vilani” (TIB title) (aka “Three putti with the coat of arms of Cardinal Filippo Guastavillani” [Rijksmuseum title]), 1630–1660, after the design by Lorenzo Loli’s teacher, Giovanni Andrea Sirani (1610–1670).

Note that the British Museum holds two copies of this etching in reverse by Abraham van der Borcht (1625–1690) and Jacques de Gheyn III (1596–1641) (?):

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_U-3-196;

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG28818.

Etching on laid paper trimmed along the platemark with a portion of a collector’s stamp on the lower edge and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 19.7 x 14.2 cm; (image borderline) 19.5 x 14 cm.

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (on escutcheon) “ALL ILLVSTRISIMO/ SIGNOR/ ET PATRON COLENDISIMO/ IL SIGNOR/ FILIPO/ GVASTA VILANI./ …/ …/ … D.D.D.”; (lower edge at left) “I. A. Sirano. In.”; (lower edge at right) “L. LL. F.”

TIB 42 (19). 26 (179) (Walter L Strauss & John T Spike [eds.] 1981, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Masters of the Seventeenth Century” vol. 42, p. 152); Bartsch XIX.179.26 (Adam Bartsch 1803, “Le Peintre graveur”, vol. 19).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Two putti holding an escutcheon with the name of Filippo Vilani, to which a third points; after Sirani”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1895-1031-115;

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_U-3-197).

Condition: a well-printed impression, trimmed along the platemark and laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. Beyond faint stains in the upper right corner and on the legs of the two lower putti, the sheet is in a good condition for its considerable age with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this marvellous example of etching in the Baroque period, featuring boldly drawn putti engaged in the clearly strenuous task of supporting the coat of arms of Cardinal Filippo Guastavillani (1541–1587), for AU$308 (currently US$231.88/EUR191.12/GBP175.48 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.

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

Lorenzo Loli’s etching, “Bacchanal with Three Putti”, c1645

Lorenzo Loli (1612–1691)

“Bacchanal with Three Putti” (BM title) (aka “Bacchanal of Three Children” & “Bacchanale de trois enfans” [TIB titles]), c1645 (1630–60).

Etching on laid paper, trimmed with thread margins around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 19 x 15.2 cm; (image borderline) 18.9 x 14.9 cm.

Inscribed on plate: (lower left) “LAVR. LOL F”

State i (of i)

TIB 42(19).25(178) (John T Spike [ed.] 1981, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Masters of the Seventeenth Century”, New York, Abaris Books, vol. 42, p. 151); Bartsch XIX.178 (Adam Bartsch 1803, “Le Peintre graveur”, vol. 19, cat. no. 178)

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Bacchanal with three putti, one asleep, while another pours wine from a flask into the mouth of the third”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1452053&partId=1&people=116898&peoA=116898-2-60&page=1)

Condition: crisp impression trimmed close to the image borderline and laid on support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in excellent condition for its considerable age (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing).

I am selling this exceptionally rare etching—so rare that only the British Museum seems to hold a copy—for the total cost of AU$420 (currently US$329.36/EUR278.80/GBP249.85 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world. (currently US$300.71/EUR265.32/GBP232.47 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 delicately beautiful old master etching of thirsty children/putti, 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

Lorenzo Loli’s etching, “Baccanale of Putti”, c1650

Lorenzo Loli (1612–1691)

“Baccanale of Putti” (aka “Children’s Bacchanal” [Bartsch title]), 1630–90, published by Lorenzo Loli

Size: (sheet) 17.8 x 12.8 cm

State i (of i) undoubtedly a lifetime impression based on the lack of wear to the plate.

TIB 42 (19). 21 (176) (Walter L Strauss & John T Spike [eds.] 1981,“The Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Masters of the Seventeenth Century” vol. 42, p. 147); Bartsch XIX.176.21 (Adam Bartsch 1803, “Le Peintre graveur”, vol. 19, p. 176)

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Two putti drinking from wine flasks beside wine barrels”

(http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1452004&partId=1&searchText=loli&page=1)

See also the description of this print at the Rijksmuseum:

“Two naked children between wine vessels and jars. One child pours wine into the mouth of the other.”

(http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.141596)

See also: https://www.gonnelli.it/it/asta-0020-2/loli-lorenzo-baccanale-di-putti-.asp

Condition: crisp impression trimmed along the platemark and laid upon an early support sheet of hand-written sheet music inscribed in ink. The print exhibits a patina of handling marks, minor stains, light creases and small tears acquired over the centuries.

I am selling this exceptionally rare print that is made even more remarkable by having been glued onto a support sheet of music hand inscribed in ink —an extraordinary print on multiple levels of curiosity—for the total cost of AU$420 (currently US$329.36/EUR278.80/GBP249.85 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this old master etching laid upon what may well be an early musical composition written by an old hand, 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 the subject of infants getting drunk may not be one that contemporary artists would feel socially encouraged to explore, these children are not children from everyday secular life—affectionately called "rug rats". These are putti—children imbued with an allegorical purpose extracted from a classical past even if the word “putti” for such children only came into common use around the time of this etching (circa 1640). Their actions are intended to symbolise ideas of free joy—wild abandonment—and love without constraint.

Regarding the hand inscribed music on the back of this print, I would love to have advice about this score. From my early piano lessons I know that the Italian term written at the top of the score, “Larghetto”, is advice to the musician to slow the tempo down—but not as slow as largo (from which the term larghetto must originate)—and I know (or I think that I know) that such terms had their origins in the Baroque and Renaissance eras. Where I am far out of my depth is the use of what I see as bass clef on the first stave rather than what I would term (perhaps inaccurately) as a “G” or treble clef. Does this mean that the music is intended for a certain instrument leaning to the bass lines of a composition? In short, I need help.

_________________________________

Update:

My mate from Instagram (@manuscriptsok) has given me the following marvellous insights about the music shown on the support sheet: the music is likely to be a “cello or bassoon line in b flat major” and added that it “would definitely be ensemble music as it doesn’t contain a melody, rather just some structure for a chamber ensemble.” 

Thank you sincerely!