Raphael Sadeler, “Saint Arnulf (Arnoul) of Metz”, 1598, after Maarten de Vos

Raphael Sadeler I (1560/61–1628/32)

“Saint Arnulf (Arnoul) of Metz” (TIB title), 1598, engraving after a drawing by Maarten de Vos (aka Maarten de Vos; Maerten de Vos) (1532–1603) in the Kupferstichkabinett, Berlin (inv. 79B17, pl. 5). Plate 12, from a series of twenty-five engravings and the title plate, “Trophies of the Solitary Life” (aka “Trophaeum Vitae Solitariae”; “Het deugdzame leven van kluizenaars” [The Virtuous Life of Hermits]) with privilege granted for its publication by Clement VIII and the German emperor, Rudolf II of Habsburg. This is a lifetime impression from the first state before the plate number is effaced in the second state.

Engraving on laid paper with the watermark of an anchor in a circle with a collector’s ink stamp verso, backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 25.2 x 28.6 cm; (plate) 16.9 x 20.8 cm; (image borderline) 15.4 x 20.8 cm.

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline: (lower right) "Vos fig. R Sadeler Scalpsit cu[m] grat. Et priuil. S. Po[n]t:”

Lettered below the image borderline in two columns of two lines of Latin: " Exuit ARNVLPHVS …/ …// 12// …/ … mira facit.”

State i (of ii)

TIB 7101. 120 S1 (Isabelle de Ramaix 2006, “The Illustrated Bartsch”, vol. 71, Part 1 [Supplement], New York, Abaris Books, p. 166, cat. no. [7101].120 S1); Sénéchal 1987, no. 29; Hollstein 1980, vol. 21, no. 138; Hollstein 1995–96, vol. 44, no. 1036.

See also the description of this print offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1958-0712-206.

Regarding biographical details about Saint Arnulf, Isabelle de Ramaix (2001) advises: “Arnulf, became bishop of Metz (France) about 611. He retired ca. 626 to a hermitage in the Vosges mountains, later the monastery of Remiremont, where he died” (p. 166).

Condition: a strong and well-printed (museum-quality) impression with wide margins, laid on an archival-quality millennium washi support sheet. Beyond an ink stamp of a previous collector verso and a black dot in the sky at upper left, the sheet is in an excellent condition, free from tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or significant stains.

Price & Shipping: AU$330 (approx. US$214.89 / €186.69 / £164.53), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in purchasing this rare first-state impression of a beautifully crafted and unusual engraving of the hermit saint, St. Arnulf, praying before a crucifix—please note the bishop’s mitre behind the saint, alluding to his former role as the bishop of Metz in northeast France. To inquire, contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com, and I will send you a PayPal invoice for a convenient payment process.

This print has been sold

Jan Sadeler I, “Saint Joannicius”, 1598, after Maarten de Vos

Jan Sadeler I (aka Johannes Sadeler; Johann Sadeler) (1550–1600)

“Saint Joannicius” (aka “Saint John of Bithynia as a Hermit”; “Heilige Johannicius van Bithynië als kluizenaar” [Rijksmuseum title]), 1598, after a lost drawing by Maarten de Vos (aka Maarten de Vos; Maerten de Vos) (1532–1603). Plate 5, from a series of twenty-five engravings and the title plate, “Trophies of the Solitary Life” (aka “Trophaeum Vitae Solitariae”; “Het deugdzame leven van kluizenaars” [The Virtuous Life of Hermits]) made in collaboration with Raphael Sadeler I (1560/61–1628/32) who also engraved the title plate. Privilege for the printing of the engraving was granted by Clement VIII and the German emperor, Rudolf II of Habsburg.

Isabelle de Ramaix (2001) advises that Saint Joannicius retired to Mount Olympus in Bithynia after a career as a soldier. He died in 846 and is celebrated on 4 November (p. 252).

Engraving on fine laid paper, trimmed along the platemark and backed with a support sheet providing wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 16.9 x 21.1 cm.

Inscribed within the image borderline at the lower left corner: “Marti de Vos figure. Ioā[n]. Sadeler scalpsit. cû[m] gratia et priuelegio. Sumi Pontificis et Cęs Mai.”

Lettered below the image borderline: “Quattuor … IOANNICIVS/ …// 5// …/ …tulit.”

State ii (of ii) with the addition of the plate number (“5”).

TIB 7001. 396 (Isabelle de Ramaix 2001, “The Illustrated Bartsch”, vol. 70, Part 2 [Supplement], New York, Abaris Books, p. 252, cat. no. [7001].396 S2); Sénéchal 1987, no. 18; Hollstein 1980, vol. 21, no. 426; Edquist, p. 82, no 95b; Hollstein 1995–96, vol. 44, no. 1029.

See also the description of this print offered by the Rijksmuseum: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200248435.

Condition: a strong and well-printed, museum-quality, lifetime impression (based on the quality of line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate). The sheet has been trimmed along the platemark and laid on an archival-quality millennium washi support providing wide margins. The sheet is in excellent condition, free from tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or stains.

Price & Shipping: AU$330 (approx. US$215.01/ €184.85 / £161.50), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in purchasing this magnificent impression of a very beautiful and unusual engraving of the hermit saint, Joannicius of Bithynia, in his rock cave, 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

Giovanni Merlo, “Saint Martinianus”, c.1656, after Raphael Sadeler I and Maarten de Vos

(Attributed to) Giovanni Merlo (fl.c.1656–1696)—attribution based on other engravings in the same series/folio that are lettered in the plate with the name of Giovanni Merlo (see https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2023/10/giovanni-merlos-engraving-saint-amatus.html & https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2021/11/giovanni-merlos-engraving-st-gudwal-of.html)

“Saint Martinianus” (aka “St Martinian”—Hermit of Caesarea in Palestine [c.350 AD]), c.1656, plate 16 from the series of thirty plates, “Hermits Sylvae Sacrae (Monumenta …Anachoretarum…)”, after a lost drawing by Maarten de Vos (1532–1603) and after the engraving of the same composition executed by Raphael Sadeler I (1560/61–1628/32).

Engraving on fine laid paper.

Size: (sheet) 19.2 x 22.4 cm; (plate) 16.8 x 20.1 cm; (image borderline) 15.5 x 19.2 cm.

Lettered and numbered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Primitias aui Domino floremq[ue] iuventae/ Donat, et in latebras MARTINIANVS abit”; (centre) “16”; (right) “Naufraga suscipitur Virgo, fit naufragus ipse,/ Cui dant Delphinium terga per æquor iter”

Lifetime impression (based on the quality of line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate).

TIB 7001.107 C1 (Isabelle de Ramaix [ed.] 2001, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Raphael Sadeler I Fecit”, Vol. 71, Part 1 [Supplement], New York, Abaris Books, p. 144, cat. no. [7001].107 C1).

Condition: a strong and near faultless impression in a pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions or stains.

I am selling this exceptionally fine impression of a very beautiful engraving in a near pristine condition exemplifying the period style of Mannerism, for AU$248 in total (currently/approximately US$163.78/ EUR152.04/ GBP130.77 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. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$248) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this superb engraving showing the hermit saint about to rescue a shipwrecked woman—note that this saint had earlier employed the extraordinary manoeuvre of putting his feet into a fire to quell his passion for another woman, Zoe, who had sought to seduce him (see https://www.saintforaminute.com/saints/saint_martinian_the_hermit—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

Raphael Sadeler I’s etching and engraving, “Coastal Landscape with Sailing Ship”, c.1590, after Paul Bril

Raphael Sadeler I (1560/61–1628/32)

“Coastal Landscape with Sailing Ship” (aka “Kustlandschap met Zeilschip” [Rijksmuseum title]; “View of a Seaport” [TIB title]), c.1590, after a drawing by Paul Bril (c1553/54–1626) in the Musée du Louvre, Paris (inv. 20983).

Etching and engraving on laid paper with a narrow margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 21 x 28.1 cm; (plate) 21.6 x 27.4 cm; (image borderline) 19.8 x 27.3 cm.

Inscribed in plate at lower right: “Paulus Bril inuentor Raphael Sadeler Scalp.”

Lifetime impression; state i (of iii) before the addition of the details for Visscher as publisher in the second state and the address for Gerard van Keulen in the third state.

TIB 7101.199 S1 (Isabelle de Ramaix [ed.] 2007, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Raphael Sadeler I”, vol. 71, Part 1 [Supplement], Abaris Books, p. 287, cat. no. [7101].199 S1); Wurzbach, no. 125,1; Hollstein 1980, vol. 21, no. 217; Edquist, p. 318, no. 47b.

See also the description of this print offered by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.168900.

Note that the British Museum does not have a copy of this print but has a version of it in reverse by an unidentified hand; see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_D-7-108.  

Condition: a strong, well-printed and near faultless impression (but note that there is a small circular mark/stain in the sky at upper centre) in an excellent condition trimmed close to the platemark. The sheet has been laid onto a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wider margins.

I am selling this exceptionally rare and very beautiful, museum quality, first state, lifetime impression for AU$407 in total (currently US$264.44/EUR243.67/GBP208.44 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 marvellous print that is arguably one of the best examples of a harbour scene rendered with theatrical drama of the period style known as Mannerism, 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

Gaspare Osello’s engraving, “The Annunciation with Prophets”, 1576, after Cornelis Cort and Federico Zuccaro

Gaspare Osello (c.1530–after 1590)

“The Annunciation with Prophets”, 1576, engraving in the same direction after Cornelis Cort’s (1533–1578) engraving (1571) and after the design by Federico Zuccaro (aka Federico Zuccari; Federigo Zuccaro; Federico Zucchero) (c.1542–1609), published by Nicolò Nelli in Venice (fl.1552–1579) in 1576.

Arguably Federico Zuccaro’s design was originally made for a fresco (sadly destroyed in the 1600s) in the church of Santa Maria Annunziata in Rome. There is also an interesting proposal that the design was created specifically for Cornelis Cort’s engraving for which there is a large pen and ink drawing by Federico Zuccaro in the Louvre (Louvre, inv. no.v4539)—an explanation of the two possibilities are offered in the description of Cornelis Cort’s engraving (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1917-1208-675-1-2),

Note that other printmakers also made engravings after Cornelis Cort’s engraving which in turn is after Federico Zuccaro’s design; see Girolamo Olgiati’s (fl.1567–1574) engraving (1572) (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_V-8-190) and Raphael Sadeler I’s (1560/61–1628/32) engraving (1580) (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_2002-0127-36).

Engraving on laid paper trimmed unevenly around the platemark with a small margin and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet trimmed unevenly) 32.1 x 49.8 cm; (plate) 30.5 x 48.1 cm; (outer image borderline) 30.4 x 47.8 cm.

Inscribed in plate with fecit note: (right of centre on lower edge) “Gaspar ab Auibus/ Patavinus Fecit.” Note that there are ten other tablets with Latin text.

Lettered in plate in Latin: (along the writing edge at centre) “Opus quod in æde Virginis Deiparæ Annunciaæ Collegii Romani societatis IESV Federicus Zuccarus S. Angeli in Vado ad Ripas Mitauri perfecit æneis tabellis expressum/ Venetiis Nicolaus Nellius ad Archam Noè excud. 1576”.

Condition: a well-printed but slightly grey impression with small margins around the platemark. The sheet has numerous pale stains and is laid onto a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this large and rare engraving showing prophets on either side of the annunciation scene, portrayed at lower centre, with God and the descending holy spirit (the dove) represented above this scene surrounded by a host of angels playing music and framed by Adam and Eve resting in the upper corners of the composition, for AU$484 (currently US$323.51/EUR292.71/GBP257.67 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 grand portrayal of the annunciation and heaven—and an interesting representation of blazing light and sound in a static visual image from the late1500s—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.