Léonard Gaultier’s 17th century engraving of Michelangelo’s “Last Judgement”

Léonard Gaultier (aka Léonard Gautier) (c.1561–c.1635)

“Last Judgement” after Michelangelo (1475–1564), c.1600

Engraving on fine laid paper trimmed to the image borderline.

Size: (Sheet) 31.4 x 23.3 cm

Lifetime impression predating the later state showing the added address of the publisher, Pierre Mariette I (c.1603-57).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Copy after Michelangelo's Last Judgement, with portrait of the Italian artist in oval medallion in the upper part” (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3223684&partId=1&searchText=LEONARD+GAULTIER+&page=1)

The curator of the BM advises that the image is copied “from the engraving of Martin Rota of 1569 (Bartsch XVI.260.28).”

IFF 17 (XVIIc) (Inventaire du Fonds Français: Bibliothèque Nationale, Département des Estampes, Paris, 1930)

Condition: a richly inked and crisp lifetime impression trimmed to the image borderline in marvellous condition (i.e. there are no tears, restorations, holes, abrasions or significant stains beyond light age-toning appropriate to a print that is more than 400 years old).

I am selling this exceptionally rare lifetime engraving of Michelangelo’s “Last Judgement” before the painting was censored with garments to obscure the figures’ nudity for AU$569 in total (currently US$435.70/EUR387.83/GBP337.36 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world. If you are interested in purchasing this museum etching in superb condition, 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

This is an exceptionally rare print! Not only is it a lifetime impression of Gaultier’s print before the later edition where the publisher’s name, Pierre Mariette I (c.1603-57), is inscribed on the plate, but the condition of the print is outstanding (i.e. there are no tears, restorations, holes, abrasions or significant stains beyond light age-toning appropriate to a print that is more than 400 years old).

From a personal viewpoint, what is magically interesting about this print is that it shows many of the figures in Michelangelo’s famous fresco in their full nudity—before the censors of the time had the offending bits painted over. Perhaps even more exciting is that the composition itself is different to the final painting’s arrangement. In short, this is a historically important and seldom seen treasure.