Jacques
Callot (1592–1635) (as
inscribed on plate) also attributed to François
Collignon (c1610–1687)
(Note: Édouard Meaume [1860] in “Recherches sur la vie et les ouvrages de
Jacques Callot” attributes the execution of this print and the series of which
it is a part to François Collignon.)
“The Naval Battle”
(aka “Naval battle with ruined ship and smoking battlements” [Met Museum
title]), c1630, from the series of eleven plates, “Italian landscapes” (aka “Diverse
vedute designate in Fiorenza / Paysages Italiens” [Different views of Italian Landscapes
designed in Florence]) (Lieure 268–277), published by Israël Henriet (c1590–1661) with privilege from Louis XIII (King of
France).
Etching on laid paper with watermark trimmed with narrow margin
around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.
Size: (sheet) 11.4 x 24.9 cm: (image borderline) 11.2 x 24.7 cm
Inscribed on plate at lower right: “Callot in. f.”; “Israel ex.
cum privil. Regis”
State ii (of ii) (an inscription on the mount to this print—now
removed—advises that this is a first state impression and although this is
undoubtedly a lifetime impression based on the crisp quality of the lines
showing no sign of wear to the plate I am attributing the impression to the
second state as I have no documentation to verify the previous collector’s
attribution. My attribution of this impression to the second state is
underpinned by the insight in Russell’s catalogue raisonné that proposes“…all
impressions of the etchings known to have watermarks [which this impression has]
are printed on Lorrainese paper, and nearly all are second states, bearing Israël
Henriet’s name as publisher [which this impression also shows] [p. 282].)
Lieure 1927 277 II (II) (J Lieure 1927, “Jacques Callot”, 3 vols,
Paris, Editions de la Gazette des Beaux-Arts); Meaume 1860 1196 (Édouard Meaume
1860, “Recherches sur la vie et les ouvrages de Jacques Callot”, 2 volumes,
Paris); Russell 1975, 241 (H Diane Russell 1975, “Jacques Callot Prist
& Related Drawings”, National Gallery of Art, Washington, p. 295).
The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print:
(Transl.) “On two large rocks in the sea there are forts, from
which one shoots on a number of ships that are fighting each other. To the
right in the foreground a group of soldiers at the foot of a rock. In the
background two large rocks in the sea. This print is part of a series of 11
Italian (probably mostly Florentine) landscapes (12 including title print).”
See also the description at the National Gallery of Art
Washington:
The Metropolitan Museum offers the following insight into the
print series, “Italian landscapes”, of which this etching is a part:
“The set was first published after 1630 by Israël Henriet, whose
name appears on these prints. But the date of the execution of the plates
themselves, and indeed their attribution to Callot, has been called into
question. Callot may have designed the landscapes while he was in Italy, but it
is also possible that the drawings were made and etched by French artist Israel
Silvestre after Callot’s death, based on ideas found in drawings in the
possession of Henriet. The uncertainty surrounding the prints’ attribution
demonstrates Callot’s fame and the popularity of his work during the
seventeenth century.”
Condition: superbly crisp, richly inked and well-printed early impression,
trimmed with narrow margins around the image borderline and backed with a
support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in
excellent/near faultless museum-quality condition (i.e. there are no tears,
holes, folds, abrasions, stains or foxing).
I am selling this marvellous example of a Baroque period landscape executed
with Callot’s famous etching needle that he developed, called the “échoppe”,
which allowed etchers to make swelling lines like engravers—note in particular
the swelling lines describing the clouds in the sky—for AU$310 (currently US$228.85/EUR201.57/GBP179.57
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 remarkable and very rare print,
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
