Claude Mellan, “Victor le Bouthillier”, 1658

Claude Mellan (1598–1688)

“Victor le Bouthillier” (Inscribed as “Victor le Boutillier”), 1658

Description:

This portrait depicts Victor le Bouthillier (c. 1597–1670), Archbishop of Tours and first chaplain to the Duke of Orléans. It was engraved by Claude Mellan after his own original design. The preparatory drawing for this portrait is preserved in the Hermitage Museum (inv. no. 4627). Mellan’s virtuoso technique is evident here, employing swelling parallel contour lines to sculpt the three-dimensional form—completely avoiding traditional cross-hatching. This specialised mastery is a hallmark of Mellan’s style, exemplified in his renowned work, “The Sudarium of Saint Veronica” (1649).

Technical Details & Condition:

Engraving on fine laid paper, professionally backed with archival-quality washi paper for structural longevity and excellent margins.

This is the third state of four. In this state, the full biographical text below the borderline is present after the original acanthus-leaf frame was cut down for publication in Michel Odieuvre's portrait anthology “L'Europe illustre” (1755–1765). It precedes the later fourth state of 1781, in which the biographical details of the subject were entirely erased from the copperplate (as seen in the National Gallery of Art collection: https://www.nga.gov/artworks/73744-victor-le-bouthillier).

This is a strong, crisp, and evenly printed impression. The sheet is in near-immaculate condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, or structural defects.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 18.9 x 14.6 cm
• Platemark: 16.4 x 12.5 cm
• Image borderline: 14.2 x 11.6 cm

In-Plate Lettering (below the image borderline):

• Left: “Mellan Sculp.”
• Centre: “VICTOR LE BOUTILLIER / Archevȇque de Tours. / Mort le 12. Septembre 1670. Agé de 74. anné.” (Translation: Victor Le Bouthillier, Archbishop of Tours. Died September 12, 1670. Aged 74 years.)

References:

•  Montaiglon 175 (Anatole de Montaiglon, “Catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre de Claude Mellan d'Abbeville”, 1856, Typographie de P. Briez, p. 150, cat. no. 175) —Available online via Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Anatole_de_Montaiglon_Catalogue_raisonn%C3%A9_de_l_oeuv?id=KlsCAAAAYAAJ
• IFF 163 (Maxime Préaud, “Inventaire du Fonds Français, Graveurs du XVIIe Siècle”, Vol 17, 1988, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Département des Estampes, pp. 113–14, cat. no. 163)—Available via Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Gallica): https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k4227544w/f116.item
• Compare with the first state impression held at the Rijksmuseum: Object Number RP-P-OB-69.960— https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200232446

Price & Shipping:

AU$256 (approximately US$178.57 / €157 / £134.31), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this finely executed portrait—crafted entirely in light and shade through variations in the thickness of parallel lines—please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I am happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless transaction.

Claude Mellan’s engraving, “Council with the Holy Spirit above the Gospel, Surrounded by Clergy”, 1665

Claude Mellan (1598–1688)

“Council with the Holy Spirit above the Gospel, Surrounded by Clergy (aka “Concilie met de Heilige Geest boven het Evangelie, Omringd door geestelijken”; “Un Concile”), 1665, following the artist’s own design.

Engraving on laid paper, trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline on the top and sides, but within the borderline on the lower edge with loss of publication details and lower right corner (now replenished) and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (unevenly trimmed sheet) 28.6 x 45.5 cm.

State iii (of iii) showing a fragment of the banderole added in the third state; compare the impressions of the third state and second states held by the Rijksmuseum:  (state iii) http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.722392; (state ii) http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.152753.   

IFF 120-3(3)  (Département des Estampes 1939–, “Inventaire du Fonds Français: Graveurs du XVIIe Siècle”, vol., 17, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale , p. 89, cat. no. 120); Montaiglon 111 (Anatole de Montaiglon 1856. “Catalogue Raisonné de l'Oeuvre de Claude Mellan d'Abbeville”, Abbeville, P Briex, p. 126, cat. no. 111; see https://archive.org/details/catalogueraisonn00mont_0/page/126/mode/2up).

Anatole de Montaiglon (1856) offers the following description of this print: (transl.) “A Council. The book of the Gospels is open on a table placed in the centre of the composition; beside it, a standing clerk reads a paper, and above it hovers the Holy Spirit; on both sides are ranged bishops and seated or standing figures; in the centre of the foreground, a man, kneeling on the right, offers a book to a bishop seated on the left” (p. 126).

Condition: a well-printed impression, trimmed along the platemark on the top and sides but within the image on the lower edge with loss of the publication details. There are significant restorations and replenished areas—notably the lower right corner. Beyond these important condition issues, the sheet is in an otherwise good condition with no significant stains and has been laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this large and very rare engraving by the artist famous for his technical masterpiece of engraving inscribed with a single spiralling line, “Sudarium of Saint Veronica” (aka “Veil of St Veronica”), for the total cost of AU$514 (currently US$344.04/EUR317.07/GBP279.06 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 amazing engraving—a true tour de force of printmaking—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

Claude Mellan's engraving, “Jacob Draws Water for Rachel's Animals”, c1640, after Paolo Veronese

Claude Mellan (1598–1688)

“Jacob Draws Water for Rachel's Animals” (aka “Jacob abreuve le troupeau de Rachel”), c1636–1645, after Paolo Veronese (aka Paolo Caliari) (1528–1588), published by Pierre Mariette (1596–1657) and wrongly inscribed on plate as being after Jacopo Tintoretto (aka Jacopo Robusti) (1519–1594) (see Terisio Pignatti 1995, “Veronese: l'opera completa', Milan, Mondadori Electa, p. 161, no. 309).

Engraving on laid paper, trimmed along the image borderline (with loss of publication details below the image borderline) and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 38.2 x 43.4 cm.

Inscribed on plate on the side of a water trough at lower left: "Cum priuilegio”; “Iacobus / Tinctoretus / pinxit / Cl. Mellan Gall. / sculp."

IFF 2 (Inventaire du Fonds Français: Bibliothèque Nationale, Département des Estampes, Paris, 1930); Montaiglon 1856 3 (Anatole de Montaiglon 1856. “Catalogue raisonne de l'oeuvre de Claude Mellan d'Abbeville” Abbeville, P Briex, pp. 79–80 256; this publication is available online at archive.org and may be downloaded free of charge: https://archive.org/details/catalogueraisonn00mont_0/page/78).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Jacob drawing water from the well to water Rachel's flock. c.1636/45”

https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1349093&partId=1&searchText=mellan&page=6 and

https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1347151&partId=1&searchText=1865,0408.69&page=1

See also the descriptions of the two copies of this print at the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/334443 and https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/395175?&searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Claude+Mellan&offset=160&rpp=80&pos=1899

For those wondering about the figures in this scene, I was surprised when reading Anatole de Montaiglon’s (1856) catalogue raisonné description of this print (p. 79) that Rachel is seated at right on the edge of the well holding the halter of a camel—my surprise was that I assumed that the lady with the plunging neckline on the left would have been Rachel—while a servant of Abraham draws water from the well in a bucket. Rachael’s servant is shown at left washing her foot on a water trough for the sheep being directed—somewhat AGGRESSIVELY!—by a shepherd behind her.

Condition: richly inked and near faultless impression, trimmed with narrow margin around the image borderline (with loss to the lettered text below the image), laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. There is a restored (closed) tear at the upper edge of the sheet otherwise the sheet is in excellent condition (i.e. there are no holes, abrasions, stains or foxing).

I am selling this superb impression of a very rare (and large) engraving by the artist famous for his technical masterpiece of engraving inscribed with a single spiralling line, “Sudarium of Saint Veronica” (aka “Veil of St Veronica”), for the total cost of AU$526 (currently US$353.52/EUR322.27/GBP292.75 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 sublimely beautiful engraving—a true masterwork of printmaking—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

Claude Mellan’s engraving, “Country Scene with a Peasant, Cow and Calf”, c1650

Claude MELLAN (1598–1688)

“Country Scene with a Peasant, Cow and Calf”, c1650. (Note that the British Museum and other repositories—including Montaiglon’s catalogue raisonné—do not attribute a date to this print and my attribution is based solely on the idea that the style of the swelling lines employed suggest a date after Mellan’s “Sudarium of Saint Veronica.”)

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

Size: (sheet) 13.8 x 19.6 cm

Inscribed on plate: (left of centre at lower edge) “C. Mellan G. F.'”

State ii (of ii)

Montaiglon 540.375; BN XVII.171.283 ii/ii (Anatole de Montaiglon 1856. “Catalogue raisonne de l'oeuvre de Claude Mellan d'Abbeville” Abbeville, P Briex, p 256; this publication is available online at archive.org and may be downloaded free of charge: https://archive.org/details/catalogueraisonn00mont_0/page/254); IFF 283.II (Inventaire du Fonds Français: Bibliothèque Nationale, Département des Estampes, Paris, 1930).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Country life scene, with young man tossing grains in a winnowing basket, cow, veal [sic], cat and rooster” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1349056&partId=1&searchText=mellan&page=1)

See also the description of this print at the Metropolitan Museum of Art:  https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/393373?searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&who=Mellan%2c+Claude%24Claude+Mellan&ft=*&offset=0&rpp=20&pos=16

Condition: crisp impression trimmed along the image borderline and laid upon a conservator’s support sheet of washi paper. The upper tip of the left corner is restored otherwise sheet is in excellent condition for its considerable age (i.e. there are no tears, folds, holes, stains or foxing).

I am selling this remarkably well-preserved engraving of great rarity by Claude Mellan—the engraver famous for his masterpiece, “Sudarium of Saint Veronica” [Veil of St Veronica], inscribed with a single spiralling line—for the total cost of AU$320 (currently US$226.07/EUR199.62/GBP226.99 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 exceptionally rare and very beautiful print with a curiously perched cat near a crowing rooster, 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

Claude Mellan’s engraving, “Lot and his daughters”, 1629

Claude Mellan (1598–1688)

“Lot and his daughters”, 1629

The scene portrayed shows Lot's daughters encouraging their father to become drunk in order to seduce him and have his baby ... yikes! Although this engraving illustrates an Old Testament event, the frocks worn by the daughters are interestingly high fashion in the 1600s (so I understand) and I need to draw attention to the unfurling ribbon on the chest of the daughter on the left ... a fascinating detail!

Note that there is a copy of this print in reverse after Mellan that was engraved in 1634 by Claude Goyrand (c1610–1662) and published by Jean Vallet (fl1600–1636); later it was also published by Nicolas Contat (c1687–1754) (see BM no. 1851,1213.441).

Engraving on fine laid paper trimmed along the image borderline (retaining the text box) and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 16.7 x 11.3 cm

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: “Quid flammas fugisse iuuat; Si Sæuir ignis / Incestâ accendit pectora casta face? (transl. What has fled from the flames of the poison; If the flaming fire / shocking the heart is pure, light a torch?) / 'l. Mellan Gallus pinx. et sculp. Romae. Sup. pm. 1629.”

State ii (of ii)

IFF 1 (Inventaire du Fonds Français: Bibliothèque Nationale, Département des Estampes, Paris, 1930); Montaiglon 1856 2 (Anatole de Montaiglon 1856, “Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre de Claude Mellan”, Abbeville).

See the British Museum’s description of this print:

https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1347149&partId=1&searchText=lot&people=115103&page=1

Condition: crisp impression trimmed along the image borderline and laid upon a conservator’s support sheet of washi paper. There are replenished losses on the right edge of the sheet; otherwise the sheet is in good condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes significant stains or foxing).

I am selling this very beautiful and finely rendered engraving executed twenty years before Mellan completed his most famous print, “Sudarium of Saint Veronica” (Veil of St Veronica), 1649, which is one of the most acclaimed tour de force feats of engraving involving a single spiralled line fluctuating in its thickness to create the entire image of Christ’s head shown on a veil—the Sudarium—for the total cost of AU$364 (currently US$261.01/EUR229.61/GBP202.74 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 luminous and rare print, 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