Robert van Audenaerde, “The Descent from the Cross”, 1743, after Daniele da Volterra

Robert van Audenaerde (aka Robert van Audenard; Robert van Oudenaerde; Robert van Auden Aerd) (1663–1743)

“The Descent from the Cross” (aka “The Deposition”; “Deposizione dalla Croce”; “Descente de Croix”), 1743, after Daniele da Volterra’s (aka Daniele Ricciarelli) (1509–1566) painting, “The Disposition”, 1545, in the Santa Trinità dei Monti in Rome (see https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Descentfromthecross.jpg), published in Rome by Vincenzo Billy (aka Vincenzo Belli; Vincenzo Billi) (early 1700s) (see British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_V-1-117) or by Arnold van Westerhout (1651–1725) (see Istituto Centrale per la Grafica:  https://www.calcografica.it/stampe/inventario.php?id=S-FC122156).

Interestingly, Daniele da Volterra is the artist who added strategically placed drapery over the nude figures in Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgement”, earning him the nickname "il braghettone" (the breeches-maker).

Engraving with etching on buff laid paper trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 41.4 x 28.8cm; (image borderline) 41 x 28.4cm.

Lettered in plate: (lower left corner) “[Dani]el da Voltera pinxit”.

Le Blanc (Charles Le Blanc 1854, “Manuel de l'Amateur d'Estampes”, vol. 1, Paris, Emile Bouillo, p. 68, cat. no. 28 [see https://archive.org/details/manueldelamateur01lebl/page/68/mode/2up]).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression with a narrow margin around the image borderline and laid onto a sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins. The lower left corner has been replenished and there are minor areas of staining.

I am selling this magnificent engraving (with etching) for AU$336 (approximately US$220.70, EUR 187.93, or GBP 164.23), with worldwide express shipping included. Please note that any applicable import duties are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in this light-filled translation of Daniele da Volterra’s painting into line, 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

Carlo Cesio, “Mercury Bringing the Golden Apple to Paris”, 1656/7, after Annibale Carracci

Carlo Cesio (aka Carlo Cesi) (1622–1682)

“Mercury Bringing the Golden Apple to Paris” (aka “Mercure apportant à Paris la pomme d’or”; “Mercurius brengt Paris de gouden appel”), 1656/7, Plate 3 from the series of 45 plates, “The Farnese Gallery Panels”, after a fresco by Annibale Carracci (1560–1609) in the Palazzo Farnese in Rome, initially published in Rome with the privilege of Pope Alexander VII by François Collignon (aka Louis François Collignon) (c.1610–1687). This impression was published by Arnold van Westerhout (1651–1725) (as inscribed in the plate).

Etching on heavy buff-coloured laid paper.

Size: (sheet) 39.1 x 27.4 cm; (platemark) 35.3 x 24.5 cm.

Lettered in plate along the lower edge: (left) “Ann. Caracci Inu.”; (left of centre) “C. Cesius del. et Sculp. Romæ.”; (right of centre) “Arnoldo Van Westerhout formis Cum Privi8l […].”; (right) “3.”

State ii (of iii) with the addition of the address for Westerhout, but before the number 3 is erased in state iii.

TIB 4705.023 S2 (Paolo Bellini [ed.] 1987, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Masters of the Seventeenth Century”, vol. 47 [Commentary, Part 1], New York, Abaris Books, p. 81 cat. no. [4705] .023 [S2]).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “Plate 3: Mercury delivering the golden apple to Paris; Mercury seen flying over Paris, handing the golden apple over to him; the shepherd seen seated, holding a stick and with his hand open; a dog seen in the foreground to left; printed from an octagonal plate 1657/ Etching” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_A-3-6).

See also the description of this print offered by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.595245.

Condition: a well-printed impression in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains.

I am selling this curious octagonal etching showing what I understand is the now extinct and formidable Molossian hound (aka Epirus mastiff) with an interesting fluffy curled tail echoing the curved end to the shepherd’s crook that Paris (for a reason that I don’t understand) is resting his right foot upon, for AU$301 in total (currently US$191.76/EUR180.56/GBP154.70 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.

If you are interested in purchasing confidently executed etching with subtle messages of symbolism—note for example, the dead stump of a tree beside a living tree shown in the distance that may be a symbolic reference to the cycle of death and regeneration and the upside down shepherd’s crook that may be a symbolic biblical reference to the initial “J” and to Jesus Christ as the good shepherd (my apologies if my proposals are flawed)—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy. 

Circle of Arnold van Westerhout’s etching, “The Transfiguration”, c1690, after Raphael

Unidentified engraver from the circle of Arnold van Westerhout (1651–1725)

Regarding this attribution, note that Carlo Abruzzi (1837) in “Catalogue raisonné des estampes du cabinet de feu m. le comte Léopold Cicognara …”, advises that there are almost twenty translations of Raphael’s famous painting into prints citing “an anonymous student of Raimondi, carrying the address of Salamanca and the date MDXXXVIII, until that of Raphaël Morghen in 1808” (p. 344). My attribution of this print to the circle of Van Westerhout is partly because the dealer from whom I originally purchased this print proposed van Westerhout as the possible etcher and also because Abruzzi offers this artist’s name. Sadly, I do not believe that Van Westerhout is the etcher of this print because his technique is a little cruder than what is exhibited here, nevertheless, the connection is still relevant as may be seen when comparing the  rendering style and the framing borderline employed by Arnold van Westerhout in the etching, “St Paul Preaching” (1680–1704): https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1949-1008-161.

“The Transfiguration”, c1690, after the intermediary drawing by Giovanni Battista Lenardi (1656–1704), after Raphael’s (1483–1520) final painting (1516–20) in the Pinacoteca Vaticana, Vatican City.

Etching and engraving on laid paper, trimmed along the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet/outer image borderline) 48.1 x 31.2 cm.

Lettered on plate along the lower borderline frame: (left) “Rafaele d’Vrbino In. e depinse.”; (right) “Gio. Batta Lenar di desegno”.

Condition: well-printed impression with no sign of wear to the printing plate, trimmed along the image borderline and laid onto a support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. There are replenished losses to the edges (see the restored lower left corner and a few nicks to the edges of the borderline otherwise the sheet is in a good condition for its considerable age (i.e. there are no significant stains or foxing).

I am selling this large and strong translation of Raphael’s famous painting into an etching (with engraving) for AU$354 (currently US$246.09/EUR217.67/GBP195.06 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 strong etching after Raphael’s composition, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Pietro Testa’s etching, “The Death of Cato”, 1648

Pietro Testa (1607/11–1650)

“The Death of Cato” (aka “The Death of Cato Uticensis”; “Death of Cato of Utica”), 1648, first state/ lifetime impression before the addition of the publication details of Arnold van Westerhout (aka Arnoldus Westerhout; Arnoldus van Westerhout) (1651–1725) in Rome (possibly circa 1681 when the publisher lived with Cornelis Bloemaert near San Ignazio) and later by Vincenzo Billy (aka Vincenzo Billi; Vincenzo Belli) (early 1700s).

Etching and engraving on laid paper with the watermark, “anchor in a circle topped by a star” (Roman paper 1638), trimmed around the platemark.

Size: (sheet) 27.9 x 41.4 cm.

Lettered with seven lines of Latin on panel at right addressed to Cato by Testa: “Sic fortitudinis, Cato; æternum præbes monimentum; qui/ turpe uitæ præcium seruitutem existimans, plus ad liber=/ tatem, quam ad mortem uiscera aperuisti. Quid gladi=/ um aufertis libertatis adsertorem'.  ecce manus/ uindex gloriosam manumittit animam. Silcant in=/ anes fletus: generosus Cato non interijt, nichil/ egit fortuna, Virtus semper in tuto est./ P.Testa 1648”.

State i (of iv) before the addition of Van Westhout's address at bottom centre and the indication of breakage of the plate at lower right corner of state ii; the replacement of Van Westerhout’s address with that of Vincenzo Billy of state iii; the abrasion of all addresses of state iv but still retaining the corner damage to the plate arising in state ii. See the first state impression held by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.185151.

TIB 4506.020 (Paola Bellini & Richard W Wallace [eds.] 1990, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Masters of the Seventeenth Century”, vol. 45, Commentary, New York, Abaris Books, p. 148, cat. no. .020 S1 or S4; [Illus.] vol. 45, p.141); Bartsch 20 (Adam von Bartsch 1920–22, “Le Peintre Graveur”, Würzburg, p. 1270, cat. no. 20); Bellini 39 (Paolo Bellini 1976, “L'opera incisa di Pietro Testa”, Vicenza); Cropper 116 (Elizabeth Cropper 1988, “Pietro Testa, 1612–1650: Prints and Drawings”, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Museum of Art, pp. 252–56).

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco offer the following description of this print:

“numerous grieving men around a bed on which the dead Cato is sprawled face down, lamp in the corner, sad standing male figure at right by doorway, lamp in the corner, portrait busts over two doorways”

(https://art.famsf.org/pietro-testa/death-cato-1993639).

The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers a different reading of what is portrayed:

“The suicide of the philosopher Cato, who lies on his bed pulling out his innards watched by horrified disciples”

(https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/399909).

Wellcome Collection offers the following insights regarding this print:

“Cato is shown lying on his bed, surrounded by his mourning friends, and killing himself by tearing out his own entrails. Cato Marcus Porcius (95-46 BC) leader of the Optimates, tried to preserve the Roman Republic against power seekers, in particular Julius Caesar. Cato's sole chance to preserve the republic lay in supporting Pompey, whom he had formerly opposed. After Pompey's defeat, Cato led a small remnant of troops to Africa, where he killed himself after evacuating his adherents by sea”

(https://wellcomecollection.org/works/gb28t3gn).

Condition: well-printed first state/lifetime impression printed in a silvery grey ink showing no sign of wear to the printing plate. The sheet is trimmed along the plate mark and is in a clean condition with no tears, losses, stains or foxing—but there are a few minor abrasions (e.g. on the figure above Cato). There are flattened fold marks verso but these are not visible recto.

I am selling this visually arresting etching showing the conservative Roman senator and Stoic philosopher, Cato the younger (95–46 BC), committing suicide by eviscerating himself rather than losing his liberty to Julius Caesar—mindful that Testa committed suicide two years after executing this etching—for AU$632 in total (currently US$382.40/EUR353.52/GBP311.45 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 grim celebration by Testa of a beautiful life–note that the tablet onto which Cato is falling is inscribed with the absolute geometry ratio of 6:12–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