Michele Lucchese, “The Martyrdom of Saint Laurence”, 1525–1537, after Marcantonio Raimondi and Baccio Bandinelli

Michele Lucchese (aka Michele Crecchi Lucchesi; Michele Greco; Michele Grech) (fl.1534–64) see also the discussion about this engraver in M. Bury’s (2001) “The Print in Italy 1550–1625”, London, British Museum, p. 228.

“The Martyrdom of Saint Laurence”, 1539, after Marcantonio Raimondi’s (1470/82–1527/34) engraving (1490–152) shown in the same direction (see https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200307840), after a drawing by Baccio Bandinelli (1493–1560), initially published in Rome by Antoine Lafréry (aka Antonio Lafreri) (c.1512–1577). This impression was published by Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi (1627–1691) and the Wellcome Collection holds an impression published in 1774 by Carlo Losi (c.1757–[after]1805) (see https://wellcomecollection.org/works/z8xs6a4d).

Engraving on laid paper trimmed along the image borderline and backed with a support sheet providing wide margins

Size: (sheet) 27.6 x 35.5 cm.

Inscribed in plate along lower edge: (left) “M.L cu privilegio”; (on tablet) “BACCIVS/ BRANDIN/ […?] INV/ […?]; (centre) Ant. Lafrerj. Rom; (right) “Gio Bat.de Rossi [….?] Petri de Nobilibus Formis”

TIB 26.104C (Konrad Oberhuber [ed.] 1978, “The illustrated Bartsch: The Works of Marcantonio Raimondi and of his School”, vol. 26, New York, Abaris Books, p. 136, cat. no. 104C).

Condition: a slightly silvery impression with signs of wear to the printing plate (notably at upper right), trimmed along the image borderline and laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper providing wide margins. The sheet is in a good condition with no tears, folds or significant stains.

I am selling this exceptionally rare, delicately beautiful and large Renaissance period engraving showing the martyrdom by fire grill of Saint Laurence (aka St Lawrence)—one of the seven deacons of Rome martyred in 258 AD during the persecution of Christians by Emperor Valerian—watched by the Roman prefect and two floors of spectators, for AU $603 (currently US $374.70/ EUR 361.58/ GBP 302.20 at the time of posting this print) 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 $603) as this is my currency. 

If you are interested in purchasing this superb engraving that is seldom seen 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

Pierre Lélu’s etching, “The massacre of the innocents” after Raphael

Pierre Lélu (1741-1810)

“The massacre of the innocents”, 1793, after Raphael (Italian, 1483–1520) 

Etching with engraving on wove paper, signed and dated in the plate (lower right).

Size: (sheet) 34.9 x 51 cm; (plate) 28.8 x 42.2 cm; (image borderline) 26.9 x 41.8 cm

Condition: crisp impression in almost pristine condition for its age (i.e. there are no significant stains, tears, abrasions, holes, losses or foxing) with large margins.

I am selling this large and important etching after Raphael’s design for the total cost of AU$316 (currently US$240.31/EUR218.51/GBP197.31 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this important and sensitively executed 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

Before entering into a discussion about Lélu’s print executed in 1793, I need to point out that Raphael did not create a painting titled “The massacre of the innocents.” Instead, Raphael planned that his design would be executed in collaboration with Marcantonio Raimondi as an engraving. I also need to mention that after Raimondi completed his collaboratively designed engraving, he executed a second version of the print, presumably for monetary gain. The key difference between the two versions is, as Martin Clayton (1999) in “Raphael and his Circle: Drawings from the Windsor Castle” clarifies: “the presence or absence of a fir tree in the right distance” (p. 80).

Mindful that there are two engraved versions by Ramondi of the terrible biblical infanticide massacre ordered by Herod the Great of all young males in the vicinity of Bethlehem, what makes Lélu’s etching interesting is that he has reproduced the first version—Raphael’s original conception for the print with the fir tree—rather than Ramondi’s second version without it. Having said this, however, Lélu has employed great artistic license in his translation of the first version as there are other subtle differences separating the prints. Going further, Lélu’s print not only exhibits differences with the first version, his print is different to all the earlier versions. For example, all of the earlier versions show the tower of the building on the far left with a pyramidal shaped roof, whereas in Lélu’s print the tower is roofless and with a crenulated parapet. Moreover, Lélu has removed the foliage mass of trees shown above the signature tablet on the left edge in both the earlier versions. In short, Lélu may have made a graphic translation of Raphael’s design but his print is also is many ways a unique design in itself.

(Note: the different versions of Marcantonio Raimondi’s engraving may be seen in Walter L Strauss (gen. ed.) 1978, “The Illustrated Bartsch”, Vol. 26 pp. 29–33.)