Virgil Solis, “The Death of Ahab”, 1560

Virgil Solis (1514–1562)

“The Death of Ahab” (TIB title), 1560 (and 1562 with the strapwork border as shown here), illustration to the Biblical passage regarding Micaiah prophesies against Ahab (I Kings 22: verse 34), from the series of 220 woodcuts in woodcut borders by Vigil Solis, published in 1562 by Sigmund Feierabend (1528–1590) in Frankfurt and printed by Johann Rasch (fl.1556–1562) and David Zöpfel (aka David Zephelius) (fl.c.1555–1563) as illustrations to “Biblische Figuren des Alten Testaments / Biblische Figuren des Neuwen Testaments”.

Woodcut printed from two plates with letterpress text verso, trimmed around the strapwork borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 12.1 x 15.9 cm.

TIB 19.1.64 (Jane S Peters [ed.] 1987, “The Illustrated Bartsch: German Masters of the Sixteenth Century”, vol. 19 [Part 1], p. 315 cat. no. 1.64).

Archive.org offers an online view of these prints in their context in the publication: https://archive.org/details/VirgilSolisBible1562/page/n73/mode/2up. Note that the title page to the edition showcased by Archive.org features the publication date, “MDLXII” (1562).

Regarding the publication in which this print features, the Curator of the British Museum advises: “The first edition was published in 1560. [This print with its strapwork frame features in] the second, enlarged edition, with 74 new images and woodcut borders from the 1561 Bible. The New Testament part is wrongly dated 1552 on the title-page” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1870-0625-191-411).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression showing very few signs of wear to the printing plate, trimmed around the strapwork borderline and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. Beyond the letterpress text verso softly shining through, the sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds or stains.

I am selling this superb lifetime impression (based on the quality of the lines showing no sign of wear to the printing plate) of a visually arresting woodcut showing the king of Israel being hit by an arrow between “sections of his armour”, for AU$239 (approximately US$155.23, EUR 136.21 or GBP 114.74), including express mail shipping worldwide. Import duties, if any, are the responsibility of the buyer.

If you are interested in purchasing this finely executed woodcut pictorially framed with a strapwork woodcut border, 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

Virgil Solis, “The Beast is Thrown into a Lake of Burning Sulphur”, c1560

Virgil Solis (1514–1562)

Double-sided woodcut printed leaf: (recto) “The Beast is Thrown into a Lake of Burning Sulphur”; (verso) “The Angel Throws Satan into the Abyss”;  (TIB titles), 1560 (and 1562 with the strapwork border as shown here), from the series of 220 woodcuts in woodcut borders by Vigil Solis, published in 1562 by Sigmund Feierabend (1528–1590) in Frankfurt and printed by Johann Rasch (fl.1556–1562) and David Zöpfel (aka David Zephelius) (fl.c.1555–1563) as illustrations to “Biblische Figuren des Alten Testaments / Biblische Figuren des Neuwen Testaments”.

Archive.org offers an online view of these prints in their context in the publication: https://archive.org/details/VirgilSolisBible1562/page/n231/mode/2up.

Regarding the publication in which these prints feature, the Curator of the British Museum advises: “The first edition was published in 1560. [This print with its strapwork frame features in] the second, enlarged edition, with 74 new images and woodcut borders from the 1561 Bible. The New Testament part is wrongly dated 1552 on the title-page” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1870-0625-191-411). Note that the title page to the edition of shown by Archive.org shows the date “MDLXII” (1562): https://archive.org/details/VirgilSolisBible1562/page/n115/mode/2up. 

Woodcuts printed on both sides of laid paper trimmed with a small margin around the strapwork borderline (recto) and backed with a support sheet with a window so that each side of the sheet may be seen.

Size: (sheet) 14.4 x 17 cm.

Letterpress text recto: (above the image borderline) “APOCALYPSIS XIX./ Vltima narrantur cœlestis prælia pugnæ,/ Qua ferus æthereo concidit ense Draco.// Iā pereunt quotquot Dominū impugnare parabāt,/ Mergitur ardenti bestia sæualacu.” ([transl.] “Revelation 19 The last heavenly battles are recounted. With this the ethereal beast fell down with the dragon's sword. Now perish as many as were preparing to attack the Lord. He is drowned in the burning beast of the sea.” Note that Revelation 19 is the nineteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.)

Lettered recto in plate with the artist’s monogram along the lower edge: (left) “V”; (right) “S”.

Lettered verso in plate with the artist’s monogram in cartouche at lower centre: “VS”.

TIB 19.1.215–1.216 (Jane S Peters & Walter L Strauss [eds.] 1987, “The Illustrated Bartsch: German Masters of the Sixteenth Century”, vol. 19 [Part 1], p. 392, cat. nos. 1.215–1.216).

Condition: strong and well-printed impressions showing very few signs of wear to the printing plate, trimmed around the strapwork borderline(s) with small margins and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper that is window-cut allowing both sides of the sheet to be seen. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds or significant stains.

I am selling this superb double-sided leaf of woodcuts for a total cost of AU$227 (currently US$155.72/EUR139.65/GBP116.68 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$227) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this small but visually arresting double-sided leaf of woodcuts, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This leaf of woodcuts has been sold

Virgil Solis, “Allegory on Geometry, c1540

Virgil Solis (1514–1562)

“Allegory on Geometry” (ala “Geometry (Geometria) above Ruined Buildings” “Meetkunde (Geometria) boven ruïneuze bouwwerken” [Rijksmuseum title]; “Geometrie”), c1540 (1524–1562 [Rijksmuseum attrib.]).

Etching with engraving on laid paper trimmed around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet providing wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 10.4 x 8.8 cm.

Inscribed within the image borderline: (lower-left corner): “[artist’s monogram] VS”; (on tablet at upper centre) “LE MERI”—Note that my reading of this tablet may be incorrect and it may read “IE ME’RI”.

Hollstein German 456 (Dieter Beaujean [comp.] 2004, “German Engravings, Etchings and Woodcuts, ca.1400–1700: Virgil Solis: Part I”, vol. 63, Rotterdam, Sound and Vision, p. 128, cat. no. 456); not described in TIB (Jane S Peters & Walter L Strauss [eds.] 1987, “The Illustrated Bartsch: German Masters of the Sixteenth Century”, vol. 19 [Part 1]).

See also the description of this print offered by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.177999.

Condition: a strong and well-printed early impression with no significant stains, holes or folds, trimmed slightly unevenly around the image borderline with rounding of the lower right corner and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins.

I am selling this exceptional rare etching (with engraving)—note that this print is so rare that it escaped been recorded in the TIB catalogue—monogramed by the great Virgil Solis and showing a cloud-borne female personification of Geometry looking down upon architectural ruins, for the total cost of AU$415 (currently/approximately US$271.88/EUR251.19/GBP211.53 at the time of posting 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$415) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this small and richly detailed 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

Virgil Solis' woodcut: “David and Goliath”, 1560

Virgil Solis (1514–1562)

“David and Goliath” (1 Sam. 17) (TIB title), 1560 (and 1561–1565 with the strapwork border as shown here), from the two-part series of 218 woodcuts in woodcut borders by Vigil Solis, published in 1561 and 1562 by Sigmund Feierabend (1528–1590) in Frankfurt and printed by Johann Rasch (fl.1556–1562) and David Zöpfel (aka David Zephelius) (fl.c.1555–1563), as illustrations to “Biblische Figuren des Alten Testaments / Biblische Figuren des Neuwen Testaments”. The impression shown in TIB is from the 1565 edition.

Archive.org offers an online view of this print in its context in the 1562 edition of the publication: https://archive.org/details/VirgilSolisBible1562/page/n59/mode/2up.     

Regarding the publication in which these prints feature, the Curator of the British Museum advises: “The first edition was published in 1560. [This print with its strapwork frame features in] the second, enlarged edition, with 74 new images and woodcut borders from the 1561 Bible. The New Testament part is wrongly dated 1552 on the title-page” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1870-0625-191-411).

Jane S Peters in TIB (1987) advises that there are thirty-one different and interchangeable strapwork borders and not the twenty-four as Bartsch states (p. 283).

Woodcut on laid paper, printed with letterpress text verso, trimmed with a small margin around the strapwork borderline and backed with a support sheet providing wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 12.2 x 15.8 cm.

Inscribed within the inner image borderline with the artist's monogram at the lower-left corner: "VS".

TIB 19 (Part 1) 1.50 (Jane S Peters & Walter L Strauss [eds.] 1987, “The Illustrated Bartsch: German Masters of the Sixteenth Century”, vol. 19 [Part 1], p. 308, cat. no. 1.50 [316]).

Condition: a strong and well-printed early impression showing minimal wear to the printing plate, trimmed with a small margin around the strapwork borderline and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds or significant stains.

I am selling this superb impression of a remarkably fine Renaissance woodcut for a total cost of AU$237 (currently/approximately US$159.19/EUR147.54/GBP124.88 at the time of posting 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$237) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this small but visually arresting woodcut, 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

Virgil Solis' double-sided woodcuts: “St Matthew" & “St Mark”, 1560

Virgil Solis (1514–1562)

Double-sided woodcut: (Recto) “St Matthew the Evangelist (Matt. 1)”; (Verso) “St Mark the Evangelist (Mark 1)”;  (TIB titles), 1560 (and 1562 with the strapwork border as shown here), from the series of 220 woodcuts in woodcut borders by Vigil Solis, published in 1562 by Sigmund Feierabend (1528–1590) in Frankfurt and printed by Johann Rasch (fl.1556–1562) and David Zöpfel (aka David Zephelius) (fl.c.1555–1563), as illustrations to “Biblische Figuren des Alten Testaments / Biblische Figuren des Neuwen Testaments”.

Archive.org offers an online view of these prints in their context in the publication: https://archive.org/details/VirgilSolisBible1562/page/n117/mode/2up.    

Regarding the publication in which these prints feature, the Curator of the British Museum advises: “The first edition was published in 1560. [This print with its strapwork frame features in] the second, enlarged edition, with 74 new images and woodcut borders from the 1561 Bible. The New Testament part is wrongly dated 1552 on the title-page” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1870-0625-191-411). Note that the title page to the edition of shown by Archive.org shows the date “MDLXII” (1562): https://archive.org/details/VirgilSolisBible1562/page/n115/mode/2up. 

Woodcuts printed on both sides of laid paper trimmed with a small margin around the strapwork borderline and backed with a support sheet with a window so that each side of the sheet may be seen.

Size: (sheet) 14.2 x 16.9 cm.

“St Matthew the Evangelist (Matt. 1)” lettered with the artist's initials at lower left, "V", and at lower right, "S"; and showing the initials of the publisher on tablet at lower centre, "S.F.".  

“St Mark the Evangelist (Mark 1)” lettered with the artist's monogram at lower right, "VS".

TIB 19 (Part 1) 1.103 and 1.104 (Jane S Peters & Walter L Strauss [eds.] 1987, “The Illustrated Bartsch: German Masters of the Sixteenth Century”, vol. 19 [Part 1], p. 336).

Condition: strong and well-printed impressions showing very few signs of wear to the printing plate, trimmed around the strapwork borderline(s) with small margins and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper that is window-cut allowing both sides of the sheet to be seen. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds or significant stains.

I am selling this superb double-sided leaf of woodcuts for a total cost of AU$227 (currently US$151.73/EUR137.28/GBP120.85 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 small but visually arresting double-sided leaf of woodcuts, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This sheet of prints has been sold