Raoul Dufy, “The End of the Great War”, 1915

Raoul Dufy (1877–1953)

“The End of the Great War” (“La Fin de la Grande Guerre”), 1915, relief block print (possibly a woodcut [see the description of this print as a woodcut offered by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston [MFAH] [https://emuseum.mfah.org/objects/1917/la-fin-de-la-grande-guerre] and a variation of this print with hand colouring described as a woodcut by the Australian War Memorial [https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C188021]) signed in the plate with the artist’s monogram at lower right, published in Paris by Paul Iribe (1883–1935) spread over two-pages in issue 13 of the weekly satirical review, “Le Mot” (“The Word”) with poetic text in the margins possibly by Jean Cocteau (1889–1963). Interestingly, in this publication Jean Cocteau uses the pseudonym, “Jim”, that is the name of Cocteau’s dog.

Two-colour relief print (or lithograph [see the description of this print offered by the Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/755582]) on fine wove paper (newsprint) with flattened centrefold and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 42.8 x 54.7cm; (image borderline) 33.2 x 39.5cm.

Annette Becker (BnF) offers an excellent account of the background and intentions behind the design of this print and the following small extract gives insights about the image: (transl.) “Around a Gallic rooster, the artist depicts the violence committed, from the first days of the war, against civilians who found themselves on the invasion routes… The monochrome yellow (the publisher's savings, polychromy is now too expensive) and the avant-garde poetic text probably due to Jean Cocteau give an encrypted aspect to the small images that symmetrically surround, two by two, the central figure of the rooster triumphing over the eagle” (https://essentiels.bnf.fr/fr/image/2fa4e726-e73d-4a58-8d1a-65a30b463004-fin-la-grande-guerre).

Condition: a strong impression with vivid colour but with age-darkening of the newsprint support. The sheet has restored losses and has been laid onto a sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper to flatten the centrefold.

I am selling this impressively large original print by Raoul Dufy, signed in the plate with the artist’s monogram, proposing optimistically (but sadly prematurely) that the “Great War” was at an end, for the total cost of AU$249 (currently US$163.71/EUR150.83/GBP126.36 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. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$249) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this amazingly bold print showing symbolically the conclusion of WW1 with “the Gallic rooster defeating a menacing German eagle” (MET inv. no. 69.503[13]) please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Charles Bellay, “Portrait of Paul Baudry”, 1876

Charles Bellay (aka Charles Paul Alphonse Bellay) (1826–1900)

“Portrait of Paul Baudry”—the French painter and draughtsman (aka Paul Jacques Aimé Baudry) (1828–1886), 1876, a first state impression with dedication from Charles Bellay to Paul Baudry inscribed in plate at lower right, before lettering with the publication details for the Société Française de Gravure (1868–1901). I understand that the Société Française de Gravure published this print in Paris in its lettered state in 1886 (see IFF, vol. 2, pp. 106–07, cat. no. 14).

Etching with drypoint on chine collé on heavy wove paper.

Size: (sheet) 41.2 x 26.5cm; (plate) 29.5 x 18.7cm; (chine collé) 28.2 x 17.6cm; (image borderline) 26.4 x 15.7cm.

Inscribed in plate: (upper left) “.Baudry./ .Paul.”; (lower right) “A mon [ami?] [P?] Baudy/ Ch. Bellay/ 1876”.

IFF 14 (Jean Laren 1937, “Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800”, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Département des Estampes, vol. 2, pp. 106–07, cat. no. 14 [see https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5488531x/f115.double#]).

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed impression. The chine collé has been reattached to the original support sheet and there is a restored abrasion in the chine collé at lower right. Beyond minor surface marks in the margins, the sheet has no holes, folds or significant stains.

I am selling this exceptionally beautiful portrait of the renowned artist, Paul Baudry, capturing his friendly but reserved disposition—perhaps it’s Baudry’s projecting elbow that hints at a boundary to his amiability, but the softness of his expression, the whimsical twist of his moustache and ruffled hair suggests his inner warmth—for AU$276 (currently US$180.62/EUR166.97/GBP138.96 at the time of 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. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$276) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this outstanding portrait, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Adriaen Collaert, “Septem Planetæ”, 1581, after Maarten de Vos

Adriaen Collaert (c.1560–1618)

“Babyhood Under the Influence of the Moon” (aka “Luna”; “Babytijd onder invloed van de maan”), 1581, plate 1 following the title plate to the series of eight engravings (including the title plate), “Septem Planetæ” (aka “The Seven Planets and Seven Ages”; “De zeven planeten en zeven leeftijden”; “Septem planetae, septem hominis”), showing the power of the seven planets over the seven ages of man (see Rijksmuseum inv. no. RP-P-1925-74) after the design by Maarten de Vos (aka Maarten de Vos; Maerten de Vos) (1532–1603), published in Amsterdam by Gerard de Jode (aka Geeraert/Geerart/Gerardo/Gheerde/Gheraerde/Girard de Jode) (1516/17–1591).

Engraving on laid paper with full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 36.3 x 25.2 cm; (plate) 30.3 x 22.2cm; (image borderline) 28.8 x 21.9cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: “Auspicio LVNÆ, NATVRÆ munera crescent/ Robur et hinc INFANS concipit omne suum// 1// M. D. Vos Inuentor/ A. Collaert fecit”.

New Hollstein Dutch 1299 (Ann Diels and Marjolein Leesberg [comp.] 2005/6, “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings, and Woodcuts 1450–1700: The Collaert Dynasty”, Ouderkerk aan den Ijssel, Sound and Vision, p. 20 [p. 23 image], cat. no. 1299).

See the description of this print offered by the British Museum (inv. no. 1862,0712.321).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print: (transl.) “In the air floats the planet goddess Luna, the moon. She is accompanied by Cancer, her astrological sign. In the foreground the personification of Natura, nature. She suckles two children and has a mother hen and a cornucopia as attributes. Her city crown also identifies her as Cybele, mother of the gods. In the background toddlers and pre-schoolers play with each other. The print has a Latin caption and is part of a seven-part series about the power of the seven planets over the seven ages of man” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.96916).

Condition: a well-printed slightly silvery impression with full margins as published and in a very good condition with no tears, holes, folds or significant stains.

I am selling this rare engraving executed only 17 years after Michelangelo hung up his boots for the last time, for AU$336 (currently US$220.91/EUR204.21/GBP170.31 at the time of 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. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$336) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this somewhat spectacular and curiously interesting engraving showing the influence of the moon personified as the planet goddess, Luna, on infants representing the first of the seven ages of man—or as the Latin caption explains in translation: “Under the auspices of the Moon, Nature's gifts grow stronger, and hence the child conceives all its own”—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

Étienne Delaune, “Fire”, c.1576

Étienne Delaune (aka Stephanus) (c1518–83)

“Fire” (aka “Le Feu”; “Vuur”), c.1576 (1573–1580), a first state, lifetime, impression from the series of four plates, “The Four Elements” (aka “Personificaties van de vier elementen; “De vier elementen”).

Engraving on fine laid paper trimmed along the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 5.3 x 6.6cm; (oval image borderline) 5.1 x 6.4cm.

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline: (lower left) “S[tephanus]”.

State i (of ii) before the addition of the number “12” at the lower right corner.

IFF 114 (Jean Adhémar 1932–38, “Inventaire du Fonds Français: Graveurs du Seizième Siècle”, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, vol. 1, p. 238, cat. no. 114); Robert-Dumesnil 106 (A P F Robert-Dumesnil 1835, “Le peintre-graveur français, ou catalogue raisonné des estampes gravées par les peintres et les dessinateurs de l'école française: ouvrage faisant suite au peintre-graveur de Bartsch”, vol. 9, Paris, G Warée, pp. 42-43, cat.no. 106 [https://archive.org/details/bnf-bpt6k65575421/page/n63/mode/2up]).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print: (transl.) “Jupiter, seated on a cloud above a landscape with a castle” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.103019).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression trimmed along the platemark and laid onto a sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains.

I am selling this small and finely crafted engraving—a true jewel of an engraving—for the total cost of AU$318 (currently US$209.85/EUR194.30/GBP161.90 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. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$318) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this sensitively rendered engraving—note the engraver’s skill in representing in the minutest of details the burning lime-kilns shown in the distance and all the amazing details portraying the cloud-borne Jupiter with his thunderbolt and eagle attributes all within in space of less than 2cm square—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 

Diana Scultori, “The Birth of John the Baptist”, c.1580, after Giulio Romano

Diana Scultori (aka Diana Ghisi; Diana Mantovana) (1536–1598)

Note that the Curator of the British Museum advises: “The authorship of this print is highly contested. S. Massari considers it to have been done by Diana, while P. Bellini considers it to be a dubious attribution. Other scholars have suggested that it was made by C. Cort. See Paolo Bellini, ‘L'opera incisa Adamo e Diana Scultori’, Vicenza, 1991, pp. 266-68” (BM inv. no. V,8.2).

“The Birth of John the Baptist” (TIB title) (aka “La Naissance de St. Jean Baptiste”; “Geboorte van Johannes de Doper”), c.1580, after a drawing by Giulio Romano (aka Giulio Giannuzzi; Giulio Pippi) (c.1499–1546), published in Rome in c.1580 (between 1547–1612).

Engraving on laid paper, trimmed around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 41 x 36.5cm.

TIB 31.26 (Suzanne Boorsch & John Spike [eds.] 1986, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Artists of the Sixteenth Century”, vol. 31, New York, Abaris Books, p. 266, cat. no. 26).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print: (transl.) “In the background on the right, Elizabeth lies in childbirth and is embraced by one of the women who visit her. Angels hold up the canopy of her bed. In the front left, a group of women are giving the child a bath. From a window in the back wall of the room, God the Father watches the events” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.98903).

Diana Scultori is an exceptionally important female figure in the Renaissance and her significance is underlined by being the first woman to obtain the privilege (copyright) to sell her artworks under her own name. Interestingly Scultori changed her name according to the power politics at play at the time with the intention of attracting influential patrons. In short, Scultori’s skill as an engraver, her strategic and flexible use of her identity and having a tight rein on copyright—from memory (and I may be wrong about this) I believe that Scultori even placed the first copyright on a cap design! (albeit a nightcap for men that was decorated with a scene of Delft)—make her a true milestone figure in the history of art.

Condition: a strong and early impression (possibly lifetime impression based on the quality of the line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate) trimmed around the image borderline (following the curve of the upper edge) and laid upon a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet has darkened (or possibly the paper is grey) with many small restorations for fractures, tears and losses, but there are no significant stains.

I am selling this major engraving by one of the most important female artists of the Renaissance period, for the total cost of AU$356 (currently US$235.19/EUR217.71/GBP181.44 at the time of 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. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$356) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this large engraving by arguably one of the savviest business women in the arts during the Renaissance, 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