Pieter Stevens van Gunst, “Plate 3: Study of the Female Nude”, 1685, after Gerard de Lairesse

Pieter Stevens van Gunst (aka Pieter van Gunst) (1658/59–circa 1731)

“Plate 3: Study of the Female Nude”, 1685

Technical Details & Condition:

Engraving on laid paper with full margins as issued. The watermark on this sheet is a variant of the prestigious Strasburg Lily (or “Crowned Lily”) in a crowned shield, closely matching the form catalogued in W. A. Churchill’s “Watermarks in Paper”, no. 418 (p. CCCXIII). While Churchill's reference specimen includes a full “VAN EGMONT” countermark on the corresponding half of the sheet, this individual folio leaf isolates the central Lily design. It bears the initials "ID" to the left of the shield, indicating production within the prominent Anglo-Dutch trading network of fine French handmade paper, associated with the Jean Villedary workshops.

The presence of this specific, crisp watermark, combined with the wide 3 cm chain-line intervals, serves as a diagnostic guarantee of an authentic, first-edition impression from the 1685 Amsterdam publication. (Note: The later edition of 1734, published by Jacob van Poolsum in Utrecht, features 2.5 cm chain-lines.)

This engraving is based on a drawing from the École de Médecine, Paris, by Gerard de Lairesse (1640/41–1711), and is Plate 3 of one hundred and three in Govard Bidloo’s (1649–1713) landmark anatomical atlas, “Anatomia humani corporis / Ontleding des menschelyken lichaams” (Anatomy of the Human Body / Dissection of the Human Body), first published in 1685 in Amsterdam by the widow of Johan van Someren (1622–1676) with Hendrick Boom and Dirk Boom heirs.

The impression is strong and well-printed, with only minor signs of wear to the printing plate. The sheet is in excellent condition for its large size and age, with only minor handling marks and a small 1 cm tear along the lower edge. It remains free of holes, folds, abrasions, or significant stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 54.2 x 37 cm
• Platemark: 45.9 x 30.5 cm
• Image borderline: 45.1 x 29 cm

In-Plate lettering:

• Upper-right corner: “T.81.”
• Within the figure: Key points labelled from “A” to “M”

References:

• Archive.org offers an online view of this print within its original publication context: https://archive.org/details/gri_33125008642049/page/n25/mode/2up
• Throwbridge Gallery provides an insightful account of the history and controversies surrounding the publication in which this print features: https://trowbridgegallery.com.au/shop/medical/william-cowper/william-cowper-t81/
• Rijksmuseum: Object Number RP-P-OB-70.620 — https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200398336

Price & Shipping:

AU$408 (approximately US$291.97 / €250.34 / £214.21, subject to daily exchange rates). Price includes worldwide express shipping. Please note that destination import duties and local taxes remain the sole responsibility of the buyer.

If you’re interested in acquiring this distinguished masterwork of anatomical engraving—noting the highly refined use of the “dot and lozenge” technique for rendering tonal transitions—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

Samuel Colman, “Amalfi [Harbour]”, 1881

Samuel Colman (1832–1920) — Celebrated for his expansive landscapes within the Hudson River School, Colman was also a pioneering figure in the American Etching Revival.

“Amalfi [Harbour]”, 1881

Note: This print complements a previously listed etching of Amalfi from 1880, also by Colman — see https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2024/10/samuel-colman-amalfi-italy-1880.html.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching printed in rich brown ink with delicate atmospheric plate tone on cream wove paper, featuring full, uncut margins as issued.

It is a flawless, strong, and exceptionally clean impression of museum quality. The sheet remains in near-pristine condition, entirely free of tears, holes, folds, handling marks, or stains.

Provenance:

This etching was created for the landmark fine art anthology Poets and Etchers, published in Boston by James R. Osgood and Co. (1882). It is one of four distinct landscape contributions by Colman appearing alongside works by major revival printmakers A.F. Bellows, Henry Farrer, R. Swain Gifford, and J.D. Smillie.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 22.1 x 29.2 cm
• Platemark: 11 x 17 cm
• Image borderline: 8.9 x 15.4 cm

In-Plate lettering:

• Lower-left corner: (artist’s monogram of ligature initials) “SC”

References:

• Groskopf 11 (Christopher Groskopf, “Samuel Colman: A Catalogue of the Artist’s Etchings”, cat. no. 11), online — https://colmanetchings.com/#11

Price & Shipping:

AU$241 (approximately US$172.70 / €147.98 / £126.68, subject to daily exchange rates). Price includes worldwide express shipping. Please note that destination import duties and local taxes remain the sole responsibility of the buyer.

If you’re interested in acquiring this luminous etching of the Amalfi Coast harbor as it appeared in the late 1800s, please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

Charles Jacque, “Portrait of Jules-Joseph Guiffrey”, 1866

Charles Jacque (also known as Charles Émile Jacque) (1813–1894)

“Portrait of Jules-Joseph Guiffrey” (or, as titled by Henri Beraldi, “Portrait de M. Guiffrey”), 1866

Historical Context & Significance:

This rare and powerful portrait captures the young Jules-Joseph Guiffrey (1840–1918), a brilliant archivist, art historian, and future director of the Manufacture des Gobelins. In 1866, Guiffrey published the definitive catalogue raisonné of Charles Jacque's graphic works. To commemorate the achievement, Jacque etched this striking portrait to serve as a frontispiece.

Because it was completed alongside the book's publication, it was omitted from Guiffrey's initial self-compiled checklist. Its rarity was later recognised by legendary print scholar Henri Beraldi, who designated it as the introductory piece (Cat. No. 421) in his 1889 supplemental catalogue extension.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with plate tone on heavy laid Hallines paper. This is an early proof impression before lettering with exceptionally wide margins. In the later lettered state of this print, the name of Auguste Delâtre (1822–1907) is inscribed as the printer (see Rijksmuseum Object Number RP-P-1898-A-20875 for a description of the lettered state).

This is a strong and faultless (museum quality) impression in a near pristine condition—free of tears, holes, folds, significant stains, or handling marks.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 47.7 x 30.5 cm
• Platemark: 14.2 x 10.3 cm
• Image borderline: 8.9 x 7 cm

In-Plate lettering:

• Upper-right corner: “Ch. J.”
• Lower-left corner: “1866”

References:

• Beraldi 421 (Henri Beraldi, “Les Graveurs du Dix-Neuvième Siècle: GUÉRIN–LACOSTE,” vol. VIII, 1889, Paris, Librairie L. Conquet, p. 180, cat. no. 421)
• IFF 316 (Jean Adhémar & Jacques Lethève, “Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800: HUMBLOT–JYG,” vol. 11, 1960, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, p. 116, cat. no. 316) — Available via Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Gallica): https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5489301d/f128.item
• Rijksmuseum: Object Number RP-P-1898-A-20875 — https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200208580

Price & Shipping:

AU$274 (approximately US$196.58 / €168.34 / £144.04, subject to daily exchange rates). Price includes worldwide express shipping. Please note that destination import duties and local taxes remain the sole responsibility of the buyer.

If you’re interested in acquiring this rare portrait of the author of the seminal catalogue of Jacque’s prints—surprisingly, the British Museum does not hold a copy of this historically important print in its online repository—please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

This print has been sold