Pietro Aquila’s etching with engraving, “Labours of Hercules”, c.1680, after Annibale Carracci

Pietro Aquila (1650–1692)

“Labours of Hercules”, (published) 1674 (c.1680 [BM]), plate 9 from a suite of plates showing ornamentation in the Galerie Farnese, “Imagines Farnesiani Cubiculi cum ipsarum Monocromatibus et Ornamentis”, after a fresco by Annibale Carracci (1590–1609) in the Camerino Farnese, published in Rome by Giovanni Giacomo de' Rossi (aka Giovanni Jacomo de' Rossi; Jo Jacobus de Rubeis) (1627–1691).

Etching with engraving on laid paper, watermarked with a Fleur-de-lis in a double circle.

Size: (sheet) 31.1 x 41.8 cm; (plate) 28 x 39.4 cm.

Lettered in plate along the upper edge: (left) “Annibal Carraccius pinx. in Ædibus. Farnesianis”; (centre) “Io.Iacobus de Rubeis formis Romæ ad Templ. S. Mariæ de Pace cum priu. Sum. Pontificis”; (right) “Petrus Aquila delineauit, et sculp.”

Numbered in plate: (lower right corner) “9”.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “Details from the decoration of the Camerino Farnese; on the left is a large irregular shaped frieze with three putti clambering over floral scrollwork surrounding an oval frame showing the figure of Constance; to the right are four separate friezes, one large oval showing a full-length female figure holding a shield; and three smaller, circular medallions showing the labours of Hercules, including Hercules wrestling Antaeus and the Nemean lion, and killing the Hydra; after Annibale Carracci, c.1680” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1865-1111-217).

See detailed information about this print offered by Hamburger Kunsthalle:  https://www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de/sammlung-online/pietro-aquila-annibale-carracci-giovanni-giacomo-de-rossi/details-der-dekoration-der; see also the account about Pietro Aquila featuring this print offered by Wikipedia: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietro_Aquila.

Condition: a strong and near faultless impression with reasonably large margins (approx. 10 mms) around the platemark. Beyond a faint mark at upper centre, the sheet is in a near pristine condition for its size and considerable age with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this lifetime impression (based on quality of line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate) featuring a composite arrangement of details from Annibale Carracci’s fresco depicting episodes of Hercules labours—viz. slaying the Nemean lion; slaying the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra; wrestling Antaeus—for AU$298 (currently US$199.18/EUR180.22/GBP158.65 at the time of posting this print) 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 finely executed etching of Baroque fresco ornamentation, 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

Pietro Santi Bartoli’s etching, “Pasce Oves Meas”, c1660, after Raphael

Sometimes when looking into the meaning behind prints there are unexpected meanings that surface—and this print is a good example. Although the broad meaning underpinning the print is easy to understand with the translation of the lettered title, “Pasce Oves Meas” as “Feed My Sheep”. After all, sheep are fairly standard metaphors for the Lord’s flock of followers and he is clearly proposing to St Peter (kneeling) that he may wish to take over as their guiding shepherd, but what I then discovered was surprising and even slightly shocking for me: the parable is not just about sheep … it’s also about goats! From what I now understand, sheep are the docilely innocent and good folk of the world whereas goats are the difficult and scheming ones. I love idea that farm animals could be so neatly categorised and I wish Jermy Clarkson (see the Prime Video’s series “Clarkson’s Farm” [2021, 2 seasons]) was here to offer a few words about that!

Pietro Santi Bartoli (1635–1700)

“Pasce Oves Meas” (Feed My Sheep) (aka “Christ Appoints Peter as Head of His Church”; “Christus stelt Petrus aan als hoofd van zijn kerk”), c1660 (1650–70), from the series of fifteen plates (including the title plate), “Depictions by Raphael in the Vatican” (aka “Voorstellingen door Rafaël in het Vaticaan”), published in Rome by Giovanni Giacomo de' Rossi (aka Giovanni Jacomo de' Rossi; Jo Jacobus de Rubeis) (1627–1691), after a painting by Raphael (aka Raffaello Sanzio; Raffaello Santi) (1483–1520) in the Stanza dell'incendio del Borgo (see explanation note for this print held by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.75088).

Etching with engraving on wove paper with full margins as published (including the binding holes at left). This is a late impression.

Size: (sheet) 28.4 x 45 cm; (plate) 10.2 x 26.2 cm; (image borderline) 9.3 x 25.9 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Rafael Sanctio Vrbin. Inu. Petrus Sanctus Bartolus delin. et Sculp.”; (centre) “Pasce oues meas. Ioan. Cap. 2i.”; (right) “Io Iacobus de Rubeis formis Romæ ad Templu Pacis cú Priu. S-Pont”.

Nagler/Meyer 954–968 (Julius Meyer 1872–85, “Edition: 2. neubearbeitete Auflage von Nagler's Künstler-Lexicon” [Edition: 2nd revised edition of Nagler's artist lexicon], vol. 3, Leipzig, p. 55, cat. nos. 954–968); Nagler (described but not numbered) (G.K. Nagler 1835, “Neues allgemeines Künstler-Lexicon oder Nachrichten von dem Leben und den Werken der Maler, Bildhauer, Kupferstecher, Formschneider, Lithographen, Zeichner, Medailleure, Elfenbeinarbeiter, etc.:A— Boe”, Munich, E A Fleischmann, p. 294); Passavant 163.119.a.

See also the description of this print offered by the Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/650186. Note that the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica offers an online view of the printing plate along with a description of this print: https://www.calcografica.it/matrici/inventario.php?id=M-857_4.

Condition: a strong and near faultless (note that there is a dot mark on the foreground sheep) late impression in near pristine condition still retaining the binding holes of publication on the left edge.

I am selling this superb (but late) impression of Bartoli’s finely executed etching (with engraving) after Raphael, for the total cost of AU$218 (currently US$147.05/EUR134.77/GBP118.22 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 beautiful panel showing Christ proposing to St Peter kneeling in reverence before him that he may choose to "Feed my sheep” (Pasce Oves Meas) (John 21:15–17)—a proposal for Peter to look after Christ’s followers—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Giorgio Ghisi’s engraving, “The Prophet Jeremiah”, c1540, after Michelangelo

Giorgio Ghisi (1520–1582)

“The Prophet Jeremiah” (aka “Hieremias”), c1540 [V&A], from the series of six engravings, “The Prophets and Sibyls”, after the frescoes by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564) in the Sistine Chapel, published between 1570–1575 by Nicolas van Aelst (1550s?–1613).

Based on weight of paper and (from what I can see) no evidence of two sheets being joined that is an attribute of the van Aeist edition, this impression is possibly from the Giovanni Giacomo de' Rossi (1627–1691) edition of c1650.

Engraving on heavy laid paper with full margins as published and with binding holes along the upper edge of the sheet.

Size: (sheet) 64.5 x 50.5 cm; (plate) 56.3 x 43.6 cm.

Inscribed in plate: (on tablet) “HIEREMIAS”; (on pedestal) “Nic^o. Van aelst formis/ Romæ”.

Ink annotation in the margin at upper right: “18” (or “81”).

State ii (of ii) with the address of van Aelst.

TIB 31.17 (393) (Suzanne Boorsch & John Spike [eds.] 1986, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Artist of the Sixteenth Century”, vol. 31, New York, Abaris Books, p. 52, cat. no. 17-[1] [393]).

The British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum offer descriptions of this print: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_V-2-51; https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1153670/the-prophets-and-sibyls-print-ghisi-giorgio/.

Condition: a richly inked and near faultless impression with margins and binding holes as published. The sheet is numbered in brown ink in the margin at upper right. There is (natural) cockling to the edges of the paper, otherwise this enormous sheet is in an exceptionally fine condition for its age with no tears, folds, losses, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this huge engraving of one of the most famous—and accurate!—engravings in the series reproducing Michelangelo’s vast fresco ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, for AU$594 (currently US$440.39/EUR371.53/GBP316.30 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. Please note that this print may be mailed rolled because of its size.

If you are interested in purchasing this seldom seen engraving in superb condition, 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

Giacomo Laurenziani’s etching, “Phalaris Ordering Perillus to Enter the Bronze Bull”, 1634, after Polidoro da Caravaggio

Giacomo Laurenziani (aka Giacomo Laurentiani; Giacomo Lorenziani; Giacommo Laurenziani) (1598–1650)

“Phalaris Ordering Perillus to Enter the Bronze Bull” (aka “Perillus inventor mandante Phalaride primus expertus est”), 1634, after the painting by Polidoro da Caravaggio (aka Polidoro Caldara; Polidoro da Caravagio) (c1499–1543) on a house fascade in the Via dei Coronari, Rome, published by Giovanni Giacomo de' Rossi (aka Giovanni Giacomo de' Rossi; Giovanni Jacomo de' Rossi; Jo Jacobus de Rubeis) (1627–1691) in Rome. Note that the British Museum does not hold a copy of this print, but the musuem holds an etching in reverse by an unidentified printmaker after the same composition: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1873-1213-510.

The scene shows the Sicilian tyrant, Phalaris (fl.c.570 BC–549 BC)—"notorious for his cruel punishments” (according to the BM)—ordering Perillus—the inventor of the torture device of the bronze bull he is entering—to have the first experience of being roasted alive inside the bull to demonstrate how his screams from inside the hollow device would sound like a bull bellowing. The claim that the victim’s cries would replicate the sound of a bellowing bull was explained to me when I visited the cavern in which I understand the bronze bull was once installed. At the time I remember my brain overloading with the thought of the reverberating sound inside the cavern along with picturing the belching smoke and steam emitted through the bull’s nostrils… horrible!

Etching on laid paper trimmed close to the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 25.5 x 24.3 cm; (image borderline) 25.5 x 23.2 cm.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (centre) “Perillus inuentor, mandante Phalaride primus expertus est. / Polidorus de Carauagio Prinxit./ Iacobus Laurentianus delineauit et Sculpsit. 1634./ Gio Jacomo Rossi le Stampa alla Pace”; (right) Romæ Superior. Licentia.”

The Casanatense Library and the Central Institute for Graphics offer descriptions of this print: https://casanatense.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/stampe/id/1263/; https://www.calcografica.it/matrici/inventario.php?id=M-224; along with an image and description of the original printing plate: http://calcografica.ing.beniculturali.it/index.php?page=default&id=6&lang=it&item_id=307370&schemaType=MI&schemaVersion=2.00.

Condition: a superb, richly inked and well-printed lifetime impression (based on the quality of the line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate), trimmed close to the platemark and laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. The sheet has restoration for thinning along the edges, otherwise it is in excellent condition with no significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this very rare etching—mindful that neither the British Museum nor the Rijksmuseum hold a copy of this print—of the visually arresting scene of pending torture in Sicily, for the total cost of AU$283 (currently US$220.40/EUR181.70/GBP158.06 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 superb impression of an etching that is very 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

Pietro Aquila’s etching, “Plate 10: Hero & Leander…”, 1674, after Annibale Carracci

Pietro Aquila (1650–1692)

“Plate 10: Hero & Leander; Hercules & Iole; Pan & Syrinx”, 1674, after Annibale Carracci’s (1560–1609) fresco in the Farnese Gallery (west wing of the Palazzo Farnese), from the series of 24 engravings, “Galeriae Farnesianae Icones”, published in Rome by Giovanni Giacomo de' Rossi (1627–1691).

Note that the Smithsonian Libraries showcase this print and its series in the larger publication, “Galleria Dipinta nel Palazzo del Prencipe Panfilio”, after the ceiling frescoes by Pietro da Cortona depicting the history of Aeneas in the Palazzo Pamphili, Rome” (1690), involving prints by Carlo Cesi; the series of prints by Pietro Aquila after Annibale Carracci in which this print features begins on page 96 and this print is on page 122: https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/galeriadipintan00cesi.

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

Size: (sheet) 30 x 70.6 cm.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Annibal Carraccius pinx. in. Ædibus farnesianis”; (left of centre) “Leander, Amore duce Hellespontum trasnatans ad Hero./ Io. Iacob de Rubeis formis Romæ ad Temp. S. Mariæ de Pace cu Priv. S. Pont.”; (right of centre) “Molle latus sæuis IOLE tegit aspera villis,/ Armauitque manum clauâ domitrice ferarum./ Tymparna Iasciuis caua pulsat cantibus Heros;/ Iactat AMOR spolium Nemees, victorque superbit.”; (right) “10/ SYRINGA vim PANOS effugiens, in calamum versa./ Petrus Aquila delin. et sculp.”

Borea XLII D.14 i/i

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Plate 10: View from one of the painted walls in the Galleria Farnese; at centre, in a squared frame, a scene from Apollodorus (2.6:3), Hercules and Omphale; Omphale seen seated to left, wearing Hercules' headdress and Hercules seen playing the tambourine; to left; in a roundel, Hero and Leander (Heroides 18,19); in another roundel, Pan and Syrinx (Metamorphoses 1:689-713) c.1674 Etching with some engraving”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1896-1118-114-13)

See also the description of the print at the National Gallery of Victoria (Australia): 

https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/34370/.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression, trimmed along the platemark with many restorations, but without significant stains or foxing, and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this very large and dramatically glowing etching, for AU$360 (currently US$272.35/EUR222.62/GBP203.23 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 amazing etching translating with great visual impact Carracci’s fresco painting into line and dot, 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