Carte-de-visite albumen photographs of Sir John Everett Millais & William Holman Hunt, c1875

 

Original 19^th century visiting cards (carte-de-visite) of two of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood:

Sir John Everett Millais (1829–1896) and William Holman Hunt (1827–1910).

Both cards feature an albumen photograph of the particular artist (recto) and were produced c1875 by The London Stereoscopic and Photographic Company (110 Regent Street and 54 Cheapside, London), who were (as lettered on the cards verso) the sole photographers to the International Exhibition of 1862 and under the patronage of Her Majesty and the Prince of Wales. The size of both cards is almost the same: 10.1/10.2 x 6.3 cm and both are in near faultless condition for their considerable age.

Regarding the process employed in making these cards, I understand that the French photographer, André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri (1819-1889) patented the photographic process of making carte-de visite-cards with a mounted photographic image in 1854 (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9-Adolphe-Eug%C3%A8ne_Disd%C3%A9ri).

I am selling this rare pair of photographic carte-de-visite cards of two of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, for AU$352 in total for the pair (currently US$253.90/EUR214.97/GBP194.39 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 this pair of original lifetime photographs of these important artists in a visiting card format, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This pair of photographs have been sold

Karl Audran’s engraving, “Allegory of the birth of Maffeo Barberini, later Pope Urban VIII”, c1630, after Andrea Sacchi

Karl Audran (aka Charles Audran; Karol Audran; Karolus Audran) (1594–1674)

“Allegory of the birth of Maffeo Barberini, later Pope Urban VIII” (aka “Education of Jupiter with the Barberini family's coat of arms”), c1630 , after Andrea Sacchi’s (c1599–1661) preparatory red chalk and wash drawing (see https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/andrea-sacchi-nettuno-1599-1661-rome-allegory-of-6055755-details.aspx) and Sacchi’s final red chalk design (Mathias Polakovits collection) in which the goat (Amalthea) suckling the baby (Jupiter) is replaced with greater emphasis on the swarm of bees (the Barberini family's heraldic symbol), initially published in Rome by Aloisio Neri (fl.1630) and later by Vincenzo Billy (aka Vincenzo Billi; Vincenzo Belli) (early 1700s) also in Rome. This impression is from the Vincenzo Billy edition.

Interestingly, the copy of this print held by the British Museum (inv. no. 1941,1204.23) is described by the Curator as “a later state” than the copy illustrated in Ann Sutherland Harris’ catalogue of the works of Sacchi (cat. 84). This would mean that the copy shown here is an even later state, because the banderole held by the putti in the sky at upper right has traces of the erased banner with the coat of arms featuring the Barberini bees of Cardinal Francesco Barberini (nephew of Pope Urban VIII) featured in the British Museum’s copy. I presume that coat of arms originally held by the putti was deemed inappropriate resulting in its erasure and its replacement with the banderole.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“An allegory on the birth of Urban VIII, which is compared to that of Zeus, nursed by the nymphs Adrasteia and Io, and that of the poet Pindar (see Philostratus, Imagines II 12); the infant is lying at left, attended by two nymphs; a swarm of bees, the symbol of the Barberini family, is flying towards him; on the right, four men dancing and playing music. c.1630”

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1941-1204-23.

Engraving on laid paper with a small margin and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 31.8 x 41.8 cm; (plate) 31.2 x 41.1 cm; (image borderline) 30.8 x 40.6 cm).

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower left) “Vincent. Billy Formis Roma”; (lower left of centre) “Andreas Sacchj Romanus Inuentor”; (lower right of centre) “Karol [?] Audran Paris. Fecit Romae”.

IFF 154 (Bibliothèque Nationale, Département des Estampes 1939–, “Inventaire du Fonds Français: Graveurs du XVIIe Siècle”, vol. 1, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, p. 184, cat. no. 154); Le Blanc 318 (Charles Le Blanc 1854–1888, “Manuel de l'amateur d'estampes: contenant le dictionnaire des graveurs de toutes les nations”).

See also the description of this print offered by the Rijksmuseum:

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.collect.72819.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression with a small margin around the platemark and laid onto an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. Beyond a closed tear on the lower edge and a minor chip to the margin at upper right the sheet is in excellent condition with no holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this large engraving executed by the “founder of the Audran dynasty” and Herman van Swanevelt’s house mate, for $277 in total (currently US$196.26/EUR168.27/GBP151.67 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 this allegory about the birth of Maffeo Barberini who was later to become Pope Urban VIII—a significant patron of the arts at the time and who I understand excommunicated smokers, engaged in grand scale nepotism and took the astronomer Galileo to court for not recanting his belief in Copernican heliocentrism (viz. that the earth revolved around the sun amongst other principles)—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

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Christoffel van Sichem II’s woodcut, “St Paul”, c1646

 

Christoffel van Sichem II (1581–1658)

“St Paul” (recto),  c1646, woodcut on laid paper framed with a composite of four woodcut panels as the title plate to “D'Epistel van S. Pavwels tot de Galaten” (Epistle of St Paul to the Galatians) with Dutch letterpress text recto and verso, featuring a woodcut ornamental endpiece verso also executed by Christoffel van Siechem II (see the Rijksmuseum’s description of this verso woodcut: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.590004). The leaf was published in Antwerp in 1646 in “Het Nieuwe Testament ons Salichmaeckers Jesu Christi...”, pages 321 (recto) and 322 (verso), by Pieter Jacobsz. Paets (1587–1657/67) (see the British Museum’s description of the title plate for this publication: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1895-1031-1014).

Archive.org offers an online view of all pages in this publication; see the page with this particular print: https://archive.org/details/hetnieuwetestame00leem/page/320/mode/2up.

Note that the woodcut frame surrounding the centre image of St Paul is a composite impression from four separate plates based on designs derived from pictorial elements of late sixteenth century French and Flemish prints. There were a number of different panels that were combined to create slightly different versions of “frames” that Van Sichem employed for his prints; see for example:

https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/collectie/RP-P-1964-3343;

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.414507;

 http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.414508.

Size: (leaf) 34.2 x 21.5 cm; (plate image borderline) 9.8 x 7 cm.

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower right) “CVS” (ligature monogram of artist).

Condition: a superb near faultless lifetime impression (based on the woodcut showing no sign of wear to the printing plate). The sheet has a nibbled corner and a small dot stain in the lower text, otherwise it is in excellent/museum quality condition.

I am selling this woodcut masterpiece by the artist known as "The Dutch Dürer"—interestingly, unlike Dürer's approach to woodcuts as shown in his famous “Rhinoceros” print, Van Sichem’s “St John” is rendered entirely by parallel strokes with no cross-hatching—for AU$344 in total (currently US$244.37/EUR209.11/GBP188.32 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 this exceptional leaf printed on both sides with strong woodcut impressions by Van Sichem II, 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

Matthias Pfenninger’s etching, “Title Plate to Philip James de Loutherbourg’s ‘D’Animaux’ Suite”, c1806

Matthias Pfenninger (aka Mathias Pfeninger; Mathias Pfenninguer) (1739–1813)

“Title Plate to Philip James de Loutherbourg’s ‘D’Animaux’ Suite” (aka “1ere Suite D'Animaux Inventés et Dessinés par J P Loutherbourg Peintre du Roy” [as inscribed on plate]), c1800–1813 (the BM advises that the proposed dating is based on the active dates of the publisher and that the print may have been executed earlier [see BM’s Curator’s comment for inv. no. 1919,0415.774]), title plate to the first series of etchings showcasing animals after the designs of Philip James de Loutherbourg (aka Philipp Jakob Loutherburg; Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg) (1740–1812), published in Paris by Aaron Martinet (?) (1762–1841).

Etching on laid paper trimmed around the image borderline (with loss of the publication details, “A Paris chez Martinet.”) and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet/image borderline) 23.6 x 32.1 cm.

Inscribed on plate on tablet: “1ere SUITE D'ANIMAUX INVENTÉS ET DESSINÉS PAR J P LOUTHERBOURG PEINTRE DU ROY”.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Title page to a series of etchings after de Loutherbourg, two men resting by a well at left surmounted by statue of a lion, with a dog and three mules to right in a mountainous landscape”

( https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1919-0415-774).

Condition: a strong and near faultless impression, trimmed around the image borderline and laid onto an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. There is a dot stain at lower left, otherwise the sheet is in excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this title-plate to a series of etchings based on de Loutherbourg’s drawings of animals, for $207 in total (currently US$145.09/EUR124.66/GBP112.70 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 this interestingly designed composition—mindful that the designer, Philip James de Loutherbourg, also designed the “Eidophusikon” (an animated presentation seen as a precursor to movie making [see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eidophusikon)—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 

(Baron) Dominique Vivant Denon’s etching, “The Assassination of St Peter Martyr”, c1790, after Titian

(Baron) Dominique Vivant Denon (1747–1825)

“The Assassination of St Peter Martyr” (aka Saint Pierre martyr; St Peter of Verona), c1790 (1775–1803), plate 16, after the painting (1527–1529) by Titian (aka Tiziano Vecellio,) (1489/90–1576) destroyed in 1867. This print was most likely published in Paris in 1873 by A. Barraud in the two volume (large format) folio featuring 317 of the artist’s etchings and other others works with descriptions by Albert de la Fizelière, “L'Oeuvre Originale de Vivant Denon…” (see  https://0700polygraf.blogspot.com/2016/11/vivant-denon-ancien-directeur-general.html?m=1).

Etching on wove paper with full margins (as published?).

Size: (sheet) 69.5 x 47.3 cm; (plate) 58 x 36.7 cm; (image borderline) 52.4 x 32.7 cm.

Numbered and inscribed on plate: (upper right) “16”; (lower left) “Dennon S”.

TIB 12101.304 (Petra ten-Doesschate Chu 1985, “The Illustrated Bartsch: French Masters of the Nineteenth Century: Dominique Vivant Denon”, vol. 121, Part 1 [Supplement], New York, Abaris Books, p. 244, cat. no. [12101].304); IFF 250 (Inventaire du Fonds Français: Bibliothèque Nationale, Département des Estampes).

The British Museum offers a description of this print:

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1950-0211-151

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed impression with wide margins. The sheet has two closed (archivally restored) tears on the margin edges and there are small pale dot stains and other marks in the margins.

I am selling this huge and visually arresting etching with generously wide margins for AU$287 in total (currently US$218.83/EUR183.82/GBP159.67 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 this large and boldly executed etching of one of Titian's most famous paintings, 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