Étienne Delaune (aka Stephanus) (c.1518–1583)
“Abraham's Feast” (aka “Abraham donnant un repas pour
solenniser le jour ou fut sevré son fils Isaac.” [R-D title]; “Abraham Giving a
Banquet on the Day Isaac is Weaned”), c.1560 (1550–1572), plate 23 from the
series of 36 engravings, “The Genesis” (aka “Histoire de la Genèse”).
Interestingly, the Curator of the British Museum
advises: “Panels set into a Limoges enamel casket made around 1600 […] were
based on this print and others from this series” (BM inv. no. 1834,0804.77)
(see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_WB-51).
Engraving on laid paper with narrow margins backed with
a support sheet providing wide margins.
Size: (sheet) 8.9 x 11.3 cm; (platemark) 7.9 x 10.7 cm;
(image borderline) 6.9 x 10.5 cm.
Lettered in plate within the image borderline: (left) “.CVM.
PRI. REGIS.”; (left of centre) “STEPHANVS. F.”
Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (centre) “GENES
21/ ABLACTATO ISAAC, CONVIVI ABRAHAM, VIDETO[que]/ SARRA FILIVM ABRAHE
LASCIVIENTEM.” (transl. with apologies for any errors: “Genesis 21: After Isaac was
weaned, I saw Abraham, and I saw Sarah leaving Abraham’s son”).
Robert-Dumesnil 46 (A.P.F. Robert-Dumesnil 1865, “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, Bouchard -Huzard, p. 31, cat. no. 46
[see https://archive.org/details/bnf-bpt6k65575421/page/n51/mode/2up]).
The British Museum offers the following description of
this print: “Plate 23: Abraham giving a banquet on the day Isaac is weaned; the
banquet is held in a room on the right; on the left a servant pours the content
of a jug into a pan and stirs” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1834-0804-77).
Condition: a strong impression trimmed with a small
margin around to 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 stains.
I am selling this superb engraving that is very likely
to be a lifetime impression (based on the quality of line showing no sign of
wear to the printing plate) and in a marvellously preserved condition, for the
total cost of AU$298 (currently US$198.83/EUR179.30/GBP151.42 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 sensitively
rendered tiny jewel of an 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
