John Sell Cotman’s etching, “A Study”, 1813

John Sell Cotman (1782–1842)

“A Study” (aka “Landscape with Man Seated on a Riverbank”), 1813 (inscribed in plate), plate 16 from the series of forty-nine plates, “Liber Studiorum”, published in London in 1838 by Henry George Bohn (1795/6–1884) in "Liber Studiorum: A Series of Sketches and Studies by John Sell Cotman, Esp."

Etching on cream wove paper with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 34.1 x 30.2 cm; (plate) 10.8 x 8.1 cm; (image borderline) 10.4 x 7.7 cm.

Inscribed in plate: (lower left corner) "JSC/ 1813"; (lower centre) "A Study.”; (upper right corner) “16”.

Popham 310 (Arthur Ewart Popham 1922, "The Etchings of John Sell Cotman." Print Collector's Quarterly, vol. 9, p. 270, cat. no. 310 [https://archive.org/details/printcollectorsq93carr/page/270/mode/2up]).

See also the descriptions offered by The Tate, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Fine Art Museums of San Francisco:

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/cotman-a-study-t11502; https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/789408; https://art.famsf.org/john-sell-cotman/study-landscape-man-seated-riverbank-plate-16-liber-studiorum.

Condition: faultless impression with generous margins in pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this extraordinarily well preserved and rare etching by one of the acknowledged masters of the English landscape, for a total cost of AU$320 (currently US$248.45/EUR203.09/GBP174.47 at the time of this listing) 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 romantic view of the English countryside with a castle in the distance and a resting barefooted traveller wearing a classical tunic in the foreground, 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 

Wenceslaus Hollar’s etching, “Dance of Cherubs in the Country”, 1646, after Peeter van Avont

Wenceslaus Hollar (aka Václav Hollar; Wenzel Hollar) (1607–1677)

“Dance of Cherubs in the Country” (Pennington title) (aka “Seven Dancing Putti”), 1646, first state, lifetime impression of plate 7 from the series of twelve plates, “Putti and Satyrs” (aka “Pædopægnion”) after, and published by, Peeter van Avont (aka Pieter van Avont) (1600–1652) in Antwerp. See the title plate to this series and description of the series offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1868-0612-225.

Etching on laid paper with margins around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 17.1 x 25 cm; (platemark) 13.1 x 21 cm.

Inscribed on the plate: (lower right) “Petrus van Avont inu et ex, W: Hollar [fecit]”

Lifetime impression, state i (of ii) before numbering with “7” in lower right corner.

Pennington 502 (Richard Pennington 1982, “A Descriptive Catalogue of the Etched Work of Wenceslaus Hollar 1607–1677”, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, p. 78, cat. no. 502); New Hollstein (German) 855.I.

Pennington (1982) offers the following description of this print:

“Seven cherubs dancing a round. A distant landscape on l[eft]” (p. 78).

See also the description offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_Q-5-488.

Condition: a slightly over-wiped impression with thinning and surface marks in the image area and along the upper plate edge (possibly serendipitous marks occurring during the printing process. Beyond these issues, the sheet is a good condition with no tears, folds, significant stains or foxing and has been laid upon a support of archival (millennium quality) wash paper.

I am selling this sensitively executed and exceptionally rare lifetime impression, for AU$423 (currently US$327.17/EUR268.31/GBP230.77 at the time of this listing) 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 decorative panel of chubby putti dancing in a circle, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Harmen Jansz. Muller’s engraving, “Fall of Jericho”, c1569, after Gerard van Groeningen

Harmen Jansz. Muller (1540–1617)

“Fall of Jericho” (aka “Val van Jericho”), c1569 (1568–1570), after Gerard van Groeningen (aka Gerard Groenning; Gerardum Groeninghen; Gerard P Groenning; Gerrit van Groenwegen; Gerardo a Gruningen) (fl. 1550–1599), plate 5 from the series, “The History of Joshua” (aka “De geschiedenis van Jozua”), possibly published in Antwerp in 1579 and 1585 by Gerard de Jode (aka Geeraert de Jode; Geerart de Jode; Gerardo de Jode; Gheerde de Jode; Gheraerde de Jode; Girard de Jode; Gerard de Jode (1516/17–1591) in “Thesaurus Sacrarum historiarum Veteris et Novi Testamenti”.

Engraving on fine laid paper with a small margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 27.8 x 29.2 cm; (plate) 21.3 x 25.4 cm; (image borderline) 19.8 x 25 cm.

Numbered and inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower left) “HMuller fecit." (HM intertwined); (lower right) “.5.”

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: “AD ARCÆ DOMINI PRÆSENTIAM. BVCCINARVMQ[ue] SONITVM CORRVVNT/ MVRI IERICHO. TRADENTE EAM DOMINO IN MANVS IOSVE. Iosue Cap: 6.”

State ii (of iii)

New Hollstein Dutch 23-2(3) (Harmen Jansz. Muller) (Ger Luijten [ed.] 1999, “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: The Muller Dynasty”, vol. 1, Amsterdam, Sound and Vision. pp. 100–101, cat. no. 23); New Hollstein Dutch 45-2(3) (Gerard van Groeningen) (Christiaan Schuckman [comp.] 1997, “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: Gerard van Groeningen”, vol. 1, Amsterdam, Sound and Vision. pp. 74–75, cat. no. 45).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print:

“Seven priests blow their trumpets as they walk in front of the ark of the covenant. The walls of the city of Jericho fall and the people storm the city. At the bottom in the margin a reference to the Bible text in Latin” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.157015).

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed, near faultless impression with a small margin around the platemark laid onto a sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. Beyond a few marks in the margin, the sheet is in a very good condition for its considerable age with no tears, holes, folds, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this magnificent engraving, showing a dramatic scene of priests blowing shofars at the front of a procession followed by two priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant with soldiers behind them, while in the distance the walls of Jericho tumble and burn, for AU$288 (currently US$222.26/EUR182.27/GBP156.64 at the time of posting this listing), 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 Renaissance period engraving of superb quality—note that the British Museum does not hold a copy of this 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

Johann Christoph Böcklin’s engraving “Degustat Amara”, 1708, after Johann Andreas Thelott

Johann Christoph Böcklin (1657–1709)

“Degustat Amara” (Bitter Taste), 1708, plate 22 from the series of 26 emblem prints after the design by Johann Andreas Thelott (1654–1734), published in Augsburg in 1708 by Johann Christoph Kolb (1680-1743) and Andreas Maschenbauer (fl.early 1700s) in “Cor laetificans castrum doloris Christo redemtoris, oder, Hertz-erquickende Trauer-Bühne dem Erlöser menschlichen Beschlechtes Christo Jesu” (Gladdening the heart of the castle of pain Christ the redeemer), bound in the publication between pages 22 and 23 (see: https://books.google.com.au/books?id=06VjHlJmOWYC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false).

Harvard Library (HOLLIS) offers a description of this publication:

http://id.lib.harvard.edu/alma/990042846950203941/catalog

Engraving on laid paper (with watermark).

Size: (sheet) 22 x 15 cm; (plate) 19.7 x 13 cm; (image borderline) 19 x 12.5 cm.

Inscribed on the plate: (above banderole) “Der Sterb/ Trancf Christi./ Matth. 27. [vers.] 46/ et 48” (Death of Christ. Matth 27 vers. 46 and 48); (on banderole) “DEGUSTAT AMARA” (Bitter taste); (below sill) “Da fich mein Haupt zur/ Ruhe sencft/ Berd ich mit saurem Strom/ getrancttt.” (Then my head fell to rest, I was soaked in acidic electricity.); I am unable to decipher the text on the face of the lower step except from this interesting verse: “When the sun communicates its splendour over the earth during the day must take is evening rest in the fallen sea.”; (lower right corner) “22”.

Note: there may be mistakes in my reading of the Frakture font and I have used Google for English translation of the German text.

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed impression—possibly a lifetime impression as there are no signs of wear to the printing plate. The sheet is in near pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this small but graphically arresting emblem engraving that is rarely seen on the art market, for AU$328 (currently US$253.13/EUR207.59/GBP178.39 at the time of posting this listing) 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 intriguingly wonderful example of Baroque period symbolism about the inescapable truth of memento mori—“remember that you [have to] die”—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 

Daniel Charles Marie Mordant’s engraving, “L'Espérance”, 1897, after George Frederic Watts

Daniel Charles Marie Mordant (1854–1914)

“L'Espérance” (aka “The Audacity of Hope”), 1897, after George Frederic Watts’ (1817–1904) painting, “Hope”, 1886, in the Tate Gallery (see https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/george-frederic-watts-586).  

A proof-state impression on vellum before lettering for publication as an original engraved illustration printed by Louis Fort (fl. 1905) bound between pages 132 and 133 in the periodical, “Revue de l'Art ancien et modern”, vol. 4, 1897, (see https://archive.org/details/larevuedelartanc04pariuoft/page/141/mode/2up).

Engraving printed in a warm black ink on vellum before lettering with publication details.

Size: (sheet) 31 x 23.7 cm; (plate) 22 x 16.8 cm; (image borderline) 17.5 x 13.8 cm.

Condition: a superb artist’s proof impression on the finest vellum in pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this extraordinarily rare and beautiful engraving executed in the most delicate of strokes after Watts’ famous allegorical painting showing the personification of hope as a blind young woman seated on a mist shrouded globe as she lightly strums on the last unbroken string of her lyre, for AU$312 (currently US$241.19/EUR197.70/GBP169.92 at the time of posting this listing) 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 museum-quality engraving, 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