Bernhard Rode, “St Paul and Silas in Prison”, 1770

Bernhard Rode (aka Christian Bernhard Rode) (1725–1797)

“St Paul and Silas in Prison” (aka “Paul and Silas”), 1770, from a series of six plates on the life of St Paul (see Le Blanc [1888] vol. 3, p. 345, cat. no 56).

Etching on laid paper with a small margin around the platemark.

Size: (sheet) 26.7 x 20 cm; (plate) 24.6 x 17.7 cm; (image borderline) 22.9 x 16.6 cm.

Inscribed in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Apostel Gesch 16.C.27.v” (biblical reference to Acts of the Apostles, chapter 16, verse 27 [see https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2016%3A16-40&version=NIV]) (right) “B. Rode”.

LeBlanc 56 (Charles Le Blanc 1888, “Manuel de l'amateur d'estampes: contenant le dictionnaire des graveurs de toutes les nations”, vol. 3, Paris, Emile Bouillon, p. 345, cat. no. 56); Jacobs 61 (Renate Jacobs 1990, “Das Graphische Werk Bernhard Rodes”, Kiel, Kiel University, cat. no. 61).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “St Paul and Silas in prison; a man and a woman are standing in a doorway to right. 1770” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1854-1020-464).

Condition: a well-printed impression in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains.

I am selling this seldom seen etching on the art market—mindful that even the Rijksmuseum does not hold a copy in its large collection of prints by Bernhard Rode (see https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/search?p=1&ps=12&involvedMaker=Christian%20Bernhard%20Rode&st=Objects&ii=0)—for AU$298 in total (currently US$202.90/EUR181.72/GBP152.37 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$298) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this etching showing the moment when St Paul advises the prison guard not to kill himself after the guard mistakenly believed that the apostle Paul and Silas (aka Silvanus) had fled from their cell when the prison doors fell open (my apologies for all inaccuracies in my explanation of the biblical episode [see Acts 16:16-40]), please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.