Jan van Troyen's etching (with engraving), “Marguerite d’Antioche terrassant le dragon”, c.1660

Jan van Troyen (c.1610–after 1666)

“Marguerite d’Antioche terrassant le dragon” (Marguerite of Antioch slaying the dragon), c.1656–1660, from the album of 246 plates of David Teniers II's (1610–1690) “Theatrum Pictorium” (Theatre of Paintings), impression from the first edition published by Abraham Teniers (1629–1671) in Antwerp in 1660, after the painting attributed to Raphael in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (inv.no.171). Note: according to the Curator of the Rijksmuseum (see Rijksmuseum no. RP-P-2014-60-2), David Teniers (or his workshop) made a painted copy—a “pasticcio”—of this original painting as a model/modelli for Troyen to translate into a print and Teniers’ copy is now in the collection of the Glasgow City Council (Museums).

Regarding this attribution, the Curator of the British Museum advises that “while the overall design is given to Raphael, it is likely the painting was executed by his workshop (possibly Giulio Romano). See Dussler, 'Raphael: A Critical Catalogue', 1971, pages 51–52; and Jürg Meyer zur Capellen, 'Raphael: A Critical Catalogue of His Paintings', vol. II, 2005, cat. No. A15” (BM no. 1980,U.1599).

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

Size: (sheet trimmed slightly unevenly) 29.9 x 20.7 cm; (image borderline) 28.8 x 20.2 cm.

Inscribed on plate below the image borderline: (left) “[Rap]hael Vrbin p.”; (centre) “12 Alta. 6 Lata.”; (right) “I. Troyen S.”

Lifetime, first state impression before addition of the plate number, “2”.

Hollstein Dutch 47 (Ger Luijten [comp.] 1986, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts ca.1450–1700: Cornelis Anthonisz T[h]eunissen to Johannes den Uyl”, vol. 30, Amsterdam, Van Gendt, p. 198, cat. 47).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print:

(Transl.) “Satan in the form of a dragon was about to devour Margaret of Antioch after she refused to marry the prefect of Antioch. Thanks to the crucifix in her hand, she managed to defeat the dragon. This print is part of an album.”

(http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.566096)

See also the description of this print offered by the British Museum:

“St Margaret standing at centre, with crucifix in right hand, and gazing down at the dragon; after Raphael and his workshop.”

(https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3158984&partId=1&searchText=Jan+Van+Troyen+&page=1)

Regarding David Teniers II's series of prints, “Theatrum Pictorium”, in which this print is a part, the Curator of the British Museum offers the following insights:

“He [David Teniers II] was also a vivid art collector and his collection amounted to around 1300 pictures (of which 517 Italian paintings) which now form the heart of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. As court painter, Teniers was commissioned to produce an illustrated catalogue of the archduke's most admired Italian paintings. As the editor of this large-scale project, Teniers himself first painted reduced copies of the paintings, intended as modelli for the several engravers employed by Teniers to execute the prints for this project. These modelli were quickly executed oil sketches on panels or canvas, of the same size as the prints themselves (approximately 17 on 25 cms).”

(https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?museumno=1850%2C0713.20&objectId=3105878&page=2&partId=1)

Condition: richly inked and well-printed lifetime impression trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline and with a replenished lower left corner. Beyond the repaired loss of the lower left corner, the sheet is in very good condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing) and is laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this strong lifetime impression showing the miracle of St Margaret (aka Margaret of Antioch; Saint Marina the Great Martyr) who was shockingly eaten by a dragon, but, fortunately, was regurgitated when the sharp edge of her crucifix irritated the dragon’s stomach, for AU$387 in total (currently US$271.07/EUR241.68/GBP204.99 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 acquiring this fabulous etching (with engraving) of the saint whose fame seems to rest on her promise of “very powerful indulgences” to those who wrote or read about her life, or invoked her intercessions (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_the_Virgin), 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

“Two Farmers by the Hearth”, 1625–90, designed and published by David Teniers the Younger

(after) David Teniers the Younger (aka David Teniers II; Tennier) (1610–1690)

“Two Farmers by the Hearth” (Rijksmuseum title), 1626–90, from the four-plate series, “Farmers” (aka “Peasants”), designed and published by David Teniers the Younger with privilege (as inscribed on the plate).

Etching on fine laid paper trimmed along the platemark and re-margined on a support sheet.

Size: (support-sheet) 25.6 x 21.5 cm; (sheet) 7.1 x 6.1 cm; (image borderline) 6.3 x 5.8 cm

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline at lower centre “DT, in. et excud. cum priuileg.”

State ii (of ii) (with the additional cross-hatching on the fireplace) See the two different states at the Rijksmuseum: (state i) http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.184926 ; (state ii) http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.184927 

Hollstein Dutch 21-2 (2) (F W H Hollstein 1949, “Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts c.1450–1700”, Amsterdam); Wurzbach 1906-11 II.697.3 (Alfred von Wurzbach 1906, “Niederländisches Künstler-Lexikon”, 3 vols, Vienna-Leipzig, Verlag von Halm und Goldmann); Dutuit 1881-5 VI.421.3 (E Dutuit 1805, “Manuel de l'Amateur d'Estampes”, 4 vols, Paris)

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Two men in front of a fire-place to the left, the left one standing and smoking, the right man seated and smoking; from a series of four prints showing peasants after David Teniers the Younger” (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1670195&partId=1&searchText=Two+peasants&people=105658&page=1)

Condition: slightly silvery impression trimmed along the platemark and re-margined on a support sheet. The sheet is in a very good condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, but there is the faintest trace of residue colouring from once being glued at the corners).

I am selling this early, rare and historically important etching showing Flemish peasant life in 17^th century for AU$290 (currently US$233.83/EUR188.89/GBP166.79 at the time of posting this listing). Postage for this print is extra and will be the actual/true cost of shipping.

If you are interested in acquiring this early etching that helped frame Teniers’ reputation in the development of the genre of tavern and other genre scenes, 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

Once one starts looking at Dutch and Flemish tavern scenes from the 17^th century for which David Teniers is famous, a whole new world of social commentary opens revealing how peasants at the time lived. It’s a fascinating field of images to become involved with … but I have a warning: one has to like squat chaps with very square jaws!

This print is a good start for examining the lives of the rural poor but happy folk. For example note the extra-long feather on the hat of the seated chap lighting his pipe. My understanding of what this feather means—or could mean—is that the seated man is a bit of a rakish lad as such a very long feather fits with a certain class of man with a devil-may-care attitude. In fact such a feather is the hallmark of the comic stage character of the time, Peechelhaering, that Gerdien Wuestman (2017) in “Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age” (exh. cat. AGNSW) advises was “known for his lack of moderation” (p. 126). I wonder if the shortfall of fingers on his left hand (he only has three) is an outcome of his leaning to take risks?

Even looking at the fireplace is interesting. This one is so high that that there is no handy-to-reach mantelpiece above the fireplace to place odds and sods. Perhaps the height of this fireplace means that the scene is set in a kitchen as I recall that kitchen hearths are usually high to accommodate the cook’s pots and pans. As for the impressively dense cloud of smoke in the fireplace, clearly this pair of men have not been attentive to proper chimney maintenance or the fuel that they are using needs a bit more flame.