Stefano della Bella, “Entrance to a Fortress”, c. 1645 (2nd copy)

Stefano della Bella (1610–1664)
“Entrance to a Fortress”, circa 1645 (1642–1647)

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on fine laid paper, trimmed with a narrow margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet. This work is plate 2 from the series of twelve plates (including the title plate), titled “Dessins de quelques conduits de troupes” (“Troops, Weapons and Attacks”) (see De Vesme/Massar pp. 246–257). Published by Israël Henriet (c. 1590–1661) in Paris with the privilege of the French Crown, and dedicated (as inscribed on the title plate) to Henri Roger du Plessis-Liancourt (1620–1646). His coat-of-arms is depicted on the arcade wall at the right side of the print.

This impression is a richly inked and nearly faultless lifetime impression from the first state (out of three), prior to the erasure of the artist’s name inscribed on the arcade wall in the second state. The sheet’s margins show minor surface marks; otherwise, it is in excellent condition—free from tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or significant stains.

Please note that this is the second impression of this print I have listed. The previous copy, a second state impression, is still available and can be viewed here: https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2023/03/stefano-della-bellas-etching-entrance.html.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 6.7 x 13.3 cm
• Platemark: 6.4 x 12.7 cm
• Image borderline: 5.8 x 12.4 cm

Plate Lettering:

• Inscribed on the arcade wall with the artist’s name: “Stefanus Della Bella f.”
• Numbered and lettered below the image border: (left) “2”; (right) “Israel ex. SDBella f.”

References:

• De Vesme/Massar 247 (Alexandre de Vesme & Phyllis D. Massar, “Stefano della Bella. Catalogue Raisonné”, 1971, New York, Collectors Editions, p. 84, cat. no. 247; illustrated p. 65, cat. no. 247)
• Jombert (Della Bella) 92 (Charles Antoine Jombert, 1772, “Essai d'un catalogue de l'oeuvre d'Etienne de la Belle, peintre et graveur florentin”, Paris, p. 101, cat. no. 92)
• The Rijksmuseum describes this print: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200449937
• The British Museum describes this print: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1868-0612-1453

Price & Shipping:

AU$271 (approximately US$183.29 / €156.68 / £135.69), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this intriguing glimpse into a quiet moment at a guardhouse in the mid-1600s, created by one of the most renowned old master printmakers, please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly send a PayPal invoice to facilitate a smooth and secure transaction.

This print has been sold 

Eugen Gustav Drucker, “Autumn Landscape, Düsseldorf”, 1878

Eugen Gustav Drucker (also known as Eugène Gustav Dücker, Eugen Dücker, and Evgeny Ducker) (1841–1916)

“Autumn Landscape, Düsseldorf” (or “An Autumn Landscape”), 1878

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching printed in brown-black ink on heavy buff wove paper with generously wide margins. The impression is richly inked and flawlessly printed. The sheet is in pristine condition—free from tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, or signs of handling.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 39.9 x 25.9 cm
• Platemark: 25.5 x 17.9 cm
• Image borderline: 15.4 x 12.5 cm

Plate Lettering:

• Inscribed with the artist’s signature at lower left: “E. Dücker”

Price & Shipping:

AU$252 (approximately US$169.51 / €144.43 / £125.04), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you wish to purchase this insightful depiction of the wetlands (fen) in the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) region surrounding Düsseldorf—please note, for example, how the artist subtly varies the tone of the tree trunks on the left to complement changes in the background’s light and dark passages (darker trunks against lighter backgrounds and vice versa), and how the grass tuffs in the water are rendered in black to create a gleaming effect of light on water—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will be delighted to send a PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

Hans Rudolf Manuel (Deutsch), “William Tell Shooting the Apple”, 1552

Hans Rudolf Manuel (Deutsch) (also known as Hans Rudolf Manuel, with monograms “HRMD,” “RMD,” and “RM”) (1525–1571)
“William Tell Shooting the Apple,” 1552

Technical Details & Condition:

Woodcut on fine laid paper with letterpress text recto and verso of a leaf (pages 361 and 362) from the Latin edition of the renowned “Cosmographia” by Sebastian Münster (1488–1552), published and printed in Basel by Heinrich Petri (fl. circa 1527–1577) in 1552. Münster’s “Cosmographia” was one of the most successful and influential books of the 16th century, offering the first detailed descriptions of the world, complete with maps and cultural explorations (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmographia_(Sebastian_M%C3%BCnster)).

The impression is strong, showing no sign of wear to the printing plate, suggesting that this is an early impression. Aside from minor age toning to the edges and a worm-hole in the lower left margin, the sheet is in excellent condition with no tears, folds, abrasions, or significant stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 29 x 18.4 cm
• Image borderline: 13 x 14.2 cm

Plate Lettering:

• Artist’s ligature monogram on stone at lower left: “HRMD”

References:

• TIB 19.25 (Jane S Peters  [ed.], The Illustrated Bartsch: German Masters of the Sixteenth Century: Hans Rudolf Manuel [Deutsch], Tobias Stimmer, 1988, vol. 19 [Part 2], New York, Abaris Books, p. 40, cat. no. 25 [329])
• Bartsch IX.329.25
• New Hollstein (German) 151
• The British Museum describes this print: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1850-1014-965

Price & Shipping:

AU$288 (approximately US$192.44 / €164.6 / £143.26), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you wish to acquire this spectacular woodcut depicting the legendary Swiss patriot, William Tell, aiming to shoot an apple placed on his son's head—a perilous act demanded by the Austrian bailiff, Gessler, for refusing to remove his hat before Gessler—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will be happy to send a PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

This print has been sold

Théodule Ribot, “Portrait of Alfred Cadart”, 1864

Théodule Ribot (also known as Augustin Théodule Ribot) (1823–1891)
“Portrait of Alfred Cadart” (or “M. A. Cadart, Fondateur de la Société des Aqua-Fortistes”), 1864

Alfred Cadart (1828–1875) was a renowned printmaker and publisher. Alongside Auguste Delâtre (also known as Auguste Marie Delâtre) (1822–1907), Cadart co-founded the Société des Aqua-Fortistes (Society of Etchers) in 1861, with the aim of revitalising interest in the art of etching, which was then experiencing a period of decline. He also launched the influential art journal “L'Illustration Nouvelle” in 1868.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with plate tone on fine laid paper with generously wide margins. It is plate 99, printed by Auguste Delâtre and published by Cadart & Luquet (fl. 1863–1867) in Paris for the Société des Aqua-Fortistes, in the publication “Eaux-Fortes Modernes” (1863–1864), volume 2. The impression is richly inked and well-printed (near faultless). The sheet is in pristine condition—free from tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, or signs of handling.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 45.9 x 32.9 cm
• Platemark: 30.7 x 23.8 cm
• Image borderline: 8.7 x 11 cm

Plate Lettering:

• Above the image borderline (right): “99.”
• Within the image borderline (lower left): “t Ribot”
• Below the image borderline (left): “Ribot sculp.”
• Below the image borderline: (centre) “M. A. CADART, / Fondateur de la Société des Aqua-Fortistes. / Paris, Publié par CADART & LUQUET, Editeurs, 79, Rue Richelieu.”
• Below the image borderline: (right) “Imp. Delâtre, Rue St, Jacques, 303, Paris.”

References:

• Gallica [BNF] offers an online view of this print within its publication context: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8470013m/f48.item
• The British Museum provides a description of this print prior to lettering: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1872-0113-513

Price & Shipping:

AU$232 (approximately US$155.34 / €143.93 / £115.41), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you wish to acquire a strikingly powerful etched portrait, where the crossed arrangement of vertical and horizontal lines alludes to the artist’s analytical mindset during the “finding” of his subject amidst the dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will be happy to send a PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

This print has been sold