Léonie Valmon, “Le Canal de Chantenay à Nantes”, 1883, after Charles Lapostolet

Léonie Valmon (1864–1941)

“Le Canal de Chantenay à Nantes”, 1883

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on fine cream laid paper featuring the Arches watermark, complete with generously wide, full margins as issued. Masterfully printed in Paris by François Liénard (active c. 1860s–1880s) it was published in 1883 for the renowned French art periodical L'Art (Sanchez & Seydoux ref: 1883-40). The etching interprets Charles Lapostolet’s (1824–1890) celebrated painting from the Paris Salon of 1883.

The impression itself is faultless—strong, remarkably crisp, and evenly printed across the matrix. The sheet remains in truly pristine condition, entirely free of tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, or historical handling marks.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 42.9 x 29 cm
• Platemark (soft): 33.8 x 24.5 cm
• Image borderline: 11.8 x 20.3 cm

In-Plate lettering:

• Upper centre: “Salon de 1883”
• Lower left: “Ch. Lapostolet pinx. / L'Art.”
• Lower centre: “LE CANAL DE CHANTENAY À NANTES.”
• Lower right: “Léonie Valmon sc. / F^. Liénard, Imp.”

Price & Shipping:

AU$214 (approx. US$150.34 / €130.42 / £111.51, subject to daily exchange rates). Price fully includes worldwide express shipping. Please note that destination import duties and local taxes remain the sole responsibility of the buyer.

To purchase this superb etching, please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless transaction.

Note: This print is exceptionally rewarding when examined closely, displaying subtle tonal nuances in the cloud modelling alongside a dramatic range of ink density—from the rich, deep blacks of the boats' hulls to the gleaming white of the distant building.

The scene beautifully captures the old industrial shipping canal system at Chantenay-sur-Loire, positioned on the western maritime approach to Nantes in western France.

Antonio Domenico Gabbiani, “Bust of a Young Woman”, published 1762

Antonio Domenico Gabbiani (1652–1726)

“Bust of a Young Woman” (Busto di Vecchio), published 1762

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on laid paper. This is Plate XXXI (31) from the celebrated series of 101 numbered plates, “Raccolta di cento Pensieri diversi di Anton Domenico Gabbiani […] fatti intagliare in rame da Ignazio Enrico Hugford…” Published in Florence by Nella Stamperia Mouchiana in 1762.

Note on Attribution: While the vast majority of the prints in this series were executed posthumously by prominent 18th-century engravers after Gabbiani's drawings, Plate XXXI is a rare and important exception. As confirmed by Paolo Bellini (2005 [TIB]) in his discussion of the series (p.19), this plate is one of only three in the entire series etched by Anton Domenico Gabbiani himself during his lifetime, making it an authentic, autograph print by the master's own hand.

The impression is a strong and well-printed early impression—based on the crisp quality of the line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate. The sheet is in near pristine condition, free of tears, holes, folds, or stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 16.4 x 11.8 cm
• Platemark: 7.1 x 5.6 cm

In-Plate Lettering:

• Lower left: “A.D.Gab. f.”
• Lower centre: “XXXI”

References:

• TIB 0728.003 (Paolo Bellini, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Masters of the Seventeenth Century”, Vol. 47, Commentary Part 3, 2005, Abaris Books, p. 19, cat. no. [4728] .003)
• Archive.org: View this print in its original context via the Internet Archive Digital Copy: https://archive.org/details/frick-31072003862515/page/n27/mode/2up
• Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET): https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/351887    
• British Museum: Museum number 1854,1211.401.31 — https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1854-1211-401-31.  (Note: British Museum Records host the image for Plate XXXI with the description for Plate XXX: Museum number 1854,1211.401.32 — https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1854-1211-401-32.)

Price & Shipping:

AU$259 (approx. US$183.97 / €158.95 / £135.96, subject to daily exchange rates). Price fully includes worldwide express shipping. Please note that destination import duties and local taxes remain the sole responsibility of the buyer.

To acquire this small and rare etching that is one of the only five plates known to have been executed by an artist considered by his contemporaries to be the “most outstanding representative of the late Seicento Tuscan school” (Bellini, 2005 [TIB], p. 17), please contact oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. Secure payment is handled via PayPal invoice for a smooth, protected transaction.

This print has been sold 

Gilliam van der Gouwen, “Gideon's Battle with the Midianites”, pub. 1728, after Gerard Hoet

Gilliam van der Gouwen (also known as Willem van der Gouwen) (circa 1657–1716)

“Gideon's Battle with the Midianites”, published 1728

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with engraving on fine laid paper, featuring full margins and the publication’s central vertical fold professionally flattened. To guarantee long-term preservation, the sheet has been expertly stabilised and backed with a supportive, archival-quality sheet of Japanese washi paper.

The impression is richly inked, crisp, and evenly pulled. The strength of line and lack of wear to the plate indicate that this is a very early, fresh impression from the defining 1728 print run. Aside from minor handling marks in the margins, the sheet remains in excellent condition with no staining, foxing, or structural issues.

Art-Historical Context:

The composition is executed after a foundational drawing by Gerard Hoet I (also known as Gerard Hoedt, 1648–1733). It was published in 1728 in The Hague (In's Graavenhaage) by Pieter de Hondt (1696–1764) as a double-page centrefold illustration between pages 174 and 175 of the monumental work: “Taferelen der voornaamste geschiedenissen van het Oude en Nieuwe Testament...” (Scenes from the principal histories of the Old and New Testaments...)

The highly dynamic scene dramatically captures the chaotic climax of the biblical narrative found in Judges 7:16–22. Gideon's elite force of 300 Israelites descends on the Midianite camp under cover of night, triggering mass panic by simultaneously sounding their horns, smashing clay jars, and brandishing blazing torches. Reflecting the grand international scale of De Hondt’s publication, the multi-lingual title is lettered below the image in six languages: Hebrew, Latin, French, English, German, and Dutch.

An online digitised version of this exact print in its original publication context can be explored via Archive.org: https://archive.org/details/taferelendervoor00goul/page/n379/mode/2up

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 36.6 x 54.5 cm
• Platemark: 36.2 x 43.8 cm
• Image: 32.8 x 42.3 cm

References:

• Rijksmuseum: Object number RP-P-1904-2811— https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200197867

In-Plate Lettering (below the image):

• Left: “G. Hoet del.”
• Centre: “Judicum VII: 16–22/ [Multilingual titles in two columns]
• Right: “G. van der Gouwen Sculps.”

Price & Shipping:

AU$289 (approx. US$205.91 / €177.46 / £151.88, subject to daily exchange rates). Price fully includes worldwide express shipping. Please note that destination import duties and local taxes remain the sole responsibility of the buyer.

If you are interested in acquiring this remarkably dramatic, large-scale Baroque night battle scene, please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. A secure, fully protected PayPal invoice will be generated to ensure a seamless transaction.

This print has been sold

Coenraet Decker, “De Stadt Delphus: Tempel van Apollo”, 1685

Coenraet Decker (also known as Conraad Decker) (circa 1650–1685)—a master printmaker of the Dutch Golden Age active in Amsterdam

“De Stadt Delphus: Tempel van Apollo” (The City of Delphi: Temple of Apollo), 1685

Description & Historical Context

This exceptional and rare 17th-century etching presents a creatively inventive, idealised panoramic view of ancient Delphi (De Stadt Delphus) in Greece, celebrated throughout antiquity as the home of the legendary Oracle and the Temple of Apollo.

Published as a gatefold illustration in Amsterdam in 1685 by Timotheus ten Hoorn (1677–1710) for Joannes Aysma’s (1636–1693) monumental work, “Spiegel der Sibyllen” (Mirror of the Sibyls), this engraving features an alphabetical, lettered legend (A through H) pinpointing key mythological and geographical sites—including Mount Parnassus, the Pythia seated on her golden tripod, and the arrival of the oracle-seekers.

An online digitised version of this exact print in its original publication context can be explored via Archive.org. Please note that the Archive has misattributed the publication to Johann Amos Comenius due to a metadata error caused by the author’s identical initials, “J.A.” on the title page: https://archive.org/details/ned-kbn-all-00004030-001/page/n780/mode/2up.

Technical Details & Condition:

The print is in excellent antique condition given its age of over 340 years. The impression is richly inked, crisp, and evenly printed, with original publication gatefold creases professionally flattened. Aside from a small, expertly replenished loss in the left margin (safely away from the image border), the sheet shows no major tears or staining. To ensure long-term preservation, the sheet has been professionally stabilised and backed with a supportive, archival-quality washi paper sheet.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 19.6 x 30.6 cm
• Platemark (trimmed along the top edge): 17.8? x 30.3 cm 
• Image borderline: 16.4 x 29.1 cm

In-Plate Lettering:

• Upper left: “De Stadt DELPHUS.”
• Upper right: “Pag: 669.” (Original bookbinder's placement instruction)
• Lower right within the image: “C Decker sculp et fec”
• Lower left and right columns below the image: (Legend A–H). Features a Dutch guide to key locations, including “A Den Berg Parnassus,” “D Pythia de Priesterin Sittende op de Goude Drie-voet,” and “G Sibylla Delphica Predikt.”
• Lower centre below the image: “TEMPEL van APPOLO”

References:

• Hollstein Vol. V, p. 138–142 (Decker: Book Illustrations); listed contextually under Joannes Aysma’s Spiegel der Sibyllen (1685)

Price & Shipping:

AU$294 (Approximately US$208.35 / €180.03 / £153.96 — subject to daily currency fluctuations), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this rare, beautifully preserved window into 17th-century classical cartography and mythology, please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. A secure PayPal invoice will be provided for a smooth, fully protected transaction.

This print has been sold