Jacob van Meurs, “City of Hukou, Jiangxi Province”, c. 1665

Jacob van Meurs (1619–1680)

Note: Pieter van der Aa (1659–1733) later copied Meurs’ engraving for his 1670 publication, “Galerie Agreable du Monde Chine”. See: https://archive.org/details/dr_la-ville-de-hvkoen-ou-hukeu-dans-la-chine-a-leide-chez-pierre-vander-aa-11647035

“City of Hukou, Jiangxi Province” (or “Hvkoen of cu Hukeu”), c. 1666

Technical Details & Condition:

Engraving on fine laid paper with a vertical centrefold (as issued), professionally flattened and supported on archival (Kozo) washi paper. 

This engraving was published in Amsterdam by Jacob van Meurs in 1666 as part of the German edition accompanying Johannes Nieuhof’s “An Embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham, Emperor of China...”. It depicts the strategically significant city of Hukou, situated where the Yangtze River meets Lake Poyang. The scene is based on firsthand sketches by Dutch explorer Johannes Nieuhof (1618–1672), who served as a steward on the first Dutch East India Company (VOC) embassy to the Qing court. For more context, see the Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Embassy_from_the_East-India_Company. 

The composition features the iconic “Stone Bell” Hill (Shizhong Shan)—the fortified rocky outcrop on the left—alongside traditional Ming-style defensive walls and watchtowers. In the foreground, a Chinese junk with ribbed sails provides both scale and authentic maritime detail. 

The impression is richly inked, crisp, and well-printed. Aside from a tiny foxing dot in the sky and a closed tear at the centrefold, the sheet is in excellent condition—free of handling marks and significant stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 26.1 x 35.2 cm
• Platemark: 19.8 x 30.4 cm
• Image borderline: 19.3 x 29.6 cm

In-plate Lettering:

• Upper centre: “Hukoen. / of. ou / Hukeu.”
• Lower left corner: “8”
• Lower right corner: “28 / 28.”

Price & Shipping:

AU$241 (approximately US$167.93 / €144.96 / £125.40), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this historically significant engraving from 1666, depicting the city of Hukou in Jiangxi Province, China—note that scenes like this (possibly viewed from Johannes Nieuhof’s ship) contributed to the rise of chinoiserie in the early eighteenth century. Please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will be happy to send a PayPal invoice for a smooth and secure transaction.

Albert Bertrand, “Jupiter and Antiope”, c. 1900, after Antoine Watteau

Albert Bertrand (also known as Albert Emmanuel Bertrand) (1852–1912)— renowned for his sophisticated colour aquatint and etching interpretations of Rococo masterpieces, most notably his 1899 version of Watteau’s The Embarkation for Cythera (British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1899-0420-117)

“Jupiter and Antiope”, c. 1900

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on buff wove paper with generously wide margins. This is a rare artist’s proof (Épreuve d'artiste) before the addition of formal lettered titles or publication details. It bears a faint but legible pencil-signed dedication in the lower margin to Charles Betout (1869–1945)—an artist and the chief costume designer for the Comédie-Française for over 40 years. This dedication suggests that this artist’s proof is a presentation piece of high quality and an early impression. 

The etching is Bertrand’s interpretation of the oil painting “Jupiter and Antiope” (c. 1715) by Antoine Watteau (also known as Jean-Antoine Watteau) (1684–1721), housed in the collection of the Musée du Louvre (Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_and_Antiope_(Watteau)).

The impression is strong and well-printed—aside from a tiny void (fleck) from the printer in the middle right, which I value as a mark of an authentic, hand-pulled early impression rather than an editioned copy. The sheet is in near-pristine condition, free of tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or stains. 

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 40 x 48.1 cm
• Platemark: 32 x 37.7 cm
• Oval image borderline: 19.5 x 27 cm

Inscription (pencil dedication):

• Lower right below image (faint and indistinct): “À Bétout / A. Bertrand”
• Further pencil annotations possibly include a "1er" (1er état) mark signifying that the impression is a first state. The stylised paraph (monogram) below the signature may serve as the artist’s mark of approval for this specific proof.

References:

This is an exceptionally rare print that I have been unable to locate in any of the online repositories.
• IFF not described (Jean Laren “Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800”, vol. 2, 1937, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Département des Estampes, pp. 313–314)—https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5488531x/f322.item

Price & Shipping:

AU$286 (approximately US$199.31 / €172.60 / £149.52), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this exceptionally rare proof-state etching—Bertrand’s interpretation of Watteau’s “Jupiter and Antiope”, capturing the mythological moment where Jupiter, disguised as a satyr, surprises the sleeping nymph Antiope—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will be happy to send a PayPal invoice for a smooth and secure purchase. 

Michel Wolgemut, “City of Marseille”, 1493

Michel Wolgemut (or Michael Wohlgemuth) (1434–1519)—possibly in collaboration with Wilhelm Pleydenwurff (c. 1458–1494)

Leaf with woodcut, “City of Marseille” (or as described in the German text, “Massillia”), 1493 (German Edition, published December 23)

Technical Details & Condition:

Woodcut with incunabula letterpress German text on laid paper, complete with margins as issued.  The leaf features a large woodcut and is page 61 (“LXI”) from Hartmann Schedel‘s (1440–1514) “Nuremberg Chronicle” (Liber Chronicarum), published in Nuremberg by Anton Koberger (1445–1513).

The recto features a large woodcut “prospect” of the city of Marseille (Massillia). As was common in 15th-century cartography, this woodblock serves as a generalized representation of a fortified Mediterranean port rather than a surveyed map; notably, this same block was reused by Koberger to represent other cities (such as Verona and Nicea) elsewhere in the Chronicle.

The verso (reverse) features five smaller woodcut portraits representing a lineage of ancient wisdom:

• “Pherecides Philosophus” (Pherecydes of Syros)
• “Pytagoras Philosophus” (Pythagoras)
• “Sopho poetissa” (Sappho)
• “Ezechiel propheta” (Ezekiel)
• “Daniel propheta” (Daniel)

These portraits exemplify the “generic” woodcut style of the period, where the same block was often used to depict multiple historical figures across the 1,809 illustrations in the book. 

The woodcuts and accompanying letterpress text are richly inked and well-printed. There are minor surface marks consistent with age; a small area of thinning at the upper right corner (recto) from previous mounting—this does not affect the printed image. Aside from these minor issues, the sheet remains in excellent antiquarian condition for its large size and age, free of tears, holes, folds, or significant stains. 

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 44.5 x 31.5 cm
• Image borderline of “City of Marseille”: 19.5 x 22.7 cm

References:

• The British Museum offers a detailed description of the Nuremberg Chronicle (see “Curator’s comments”): https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1870-1008-1938-1-136

Price & Shipping:

AU$426 (approximately US$299.21 / €258.49 / £224.27), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this rare and large woodcut—a lifetime impression from 1493 and a true masterpiece of the incunabula period, printed at the very time Leonardo da Vinci was painting his famous “The Last Supper”—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will be happy to send a PayPal invoice for a smooth and secure purchase. 

This print has been sold 

Harmen Jansz. Muller, “The Servant Buries his Talent”, c.1570, after Gerard van Groeningen (2nd copy)

Harmen Jansz. Muller (1540–1617)

“The Servant Buries his Talent” (aka “Dienaar begraaft zijn talent”), c.1570 (1565–72)

Technical Details & Condition:

Engraving on fine laid paper with the Arms of Amsterdam watermark, with a small margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet of tissue-thin (Kozo) washi paper. 

This is plate 3 from the series of six engravings, “The Parable of the Talents,” after the design by Gerard van Groeningen (also known as Gerard van Groenning, Gerard P Groenning, Gerard Groenning, Gerardum Groeninghen, Gerrit van Groenwegen, Gerardo a Gruningen) (fl. 1550–1599). 

The print was first published in Antwerp in its initial state by Gerard de Jode (1509/17–1591) in “Thesaurus novi Testamenti elegantissimis iconibus expressus continens historias atque miracula doni nostri Iesu Christi” (1579–85). It was later reissued in Amsterdam in its second and final state by Claes Jansz. Visscher II (1587–1652) in “Theatrum Biblicum Hoc Est Historiae Sacrae Veteris et Novi Testamenti Tabulis Aeneis Expressae” (1646). 

This impression is from Visscher’s second state, with the addition of the biblical reference (“Matt. 25.18.”) and the number “3” below the image at the lower right corner. 

This is a strong impression. Aside from a closed tear in the upper margin, the sheet is in excellent condition for its age—free of holes, folds, abrasions, or significant stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 22.5 x 31.2 cm
• Platemark: 20.3 x 29.2 cm

Plate Numbering and Lettering:

• Within the image at lower right: “3”
• On column base at lower right: “[Artist’s monogram] F”
• Below image: “Qui vero unum acceperat abiens fodit in terram et abscondit pecuniam Domini sui. Matt. 25. 18. 3”

References:

• New Hollstein Dutch (Harmen Jansz. Muller) 51 (Ger Luijten [ed.], “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: The Muller Dynasty”, 1999, vol. 1, Rotterdam, Rijksprentenkabinet, p. 134, cat. no. 51)
• New Hollstein Dutch (Gerard van Groeningen) 110 (Christiaan Schuckman [comp.] 1997, “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: Gerard van Groeningen”, vol. 1, Rotterdam, Rijksprentenkabinet Sound and Vision Interactive, p. 146, cat. no. 110)
• Mielke 49 (H. Mielke, “Antwerpener Graphik in der 2. Hälfte des 16. Jahrhunderts. Der Thesaurus veteris et novi Testamenti des Gerard de Jode (1585) und seine Künstler,” in: Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte, vol. 38, no. 1, 1975, p. 82, cat. no. 49)
• Rijksmuseum: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200564850

Price & Shipping:

AU$310 (approximately US$217.74 / €188.10/ £163.16), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you’re interested in acquiring this superb engraving illustrating the biblical parable from Matthew 25:18—depicting the “neglectful” servant burying a stash of money, a “talent” worth the equivalent of 16 years of labour—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly send you a PayPal invoice to make the purchase seamless.

This print has been sold