Aegidius Sadeler II, “Hunters Resting near Three Trees”, after Pieter Stevens II

Aegidius Sadeler II (also known as Ægedius Sadeler, Egidius Sadeler, Gillis Sadeler, and Gillis Sadler) (1568–1629)

“Hunters Resting near Three Trees” (TIB title) or, as titled in plate, “Marécage près de Bâle en Suisse” (Marsh near Basel in Switzerland), c. 1620 (1586–1629)

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching and engraving on fine laid paper, trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline. The sheet has been professionally supported on archival washi paper, with restorations to the edges. 

This print is based on a drawing by Pieter Stevens II (c. 1567–after 1626), housed in the Museo Civico, Bassano del Grappa. It is the fifth plate from the series “Eight landscapes from Bohemia.” This impression is from the fourth and final state, lettered with the title, “Marécage près de Bâle en Suisse.” It was initially published by Aegidius Sadeler, later by Marco Sadeler (fl. 1660s), and—as with this impression—by Jean François Daumont (fl. 1740–1775) in Paris during the 1700s.

The impression is strong, crisp, and well-printed, showing no signs of wear to the printing plate. The upper right corner of the sheet has been replenished, as have areas along the lower writing edge, with careful restoration.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 17.3 x 26.2 cm
• Image Borderline: 15.9 x 25.6 cm

In-Plate Lettering (below the image borderline):

• Left: “Gravé par Sadeler.”
• Centre: “Marécage près de Bâle en Suisse.”
• Right: “A Paris chés Daumont”

References:

• TIB 7201.276 S4 (Isabelle de Ramaix, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Ægedius Sadeler II”, vol. 72, Part 1 [Supplement], 1997, New York, Abaris Books, p. 80, cat. no. [7201].276 S4)
• Hollstein 267 (Dieuwke de Hoop Scheffer [comp.], “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts ca. 1450-1700: Aegidius Sadeler to Raphael Sadeler II: text” vol 21, 1982, Amsterdam, Van Gendt & Co, p. 110, cat. no. 267)
• “Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/720134
• Rijksmuseum: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200247402

Price & Shipping:

AU$281 (approximately US$194.96 / €168.63 / £146.03), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

f you are interested in acquiring this finely executed and luminous view of a marsh near Basel in Switzerland—animated with figures engaged in their daily pursuits—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will be happy to send a PayPal invoice for a smooth and secure transaction.

This print has been sold

Circle of Abraham Bloemaert, “Penitent Mary Magdalene,” c. 1650

Circle of Abraham Bloemaert (1564–1651)

“Penitent Mary Magdalene,” c. 1650

Technical Details & Condition:

Engraving on fine laid paper, trimmed around the image borderline and professionally supported on archival washi paper. 

The depiction shows the Penitent Mary Magdalene with her hands crossed, holding a cloth to her breasts— evoking a private, inward moment of “quiet penance.” This particular interpretation is unusual and, to the best of my knowledge, unrecorded. It is notably absent from Roethlisberger’s (1993) catalogue raisonné, “Abraham Bloemaert and His Sons,” making it a rare unrecorded variant from the Bloemaert circle and an intriguing addition to the known body of works by Northern Mannerists. 

While unlisted in Roethlisberger, the engraving displays the refined burin craftsmanship characteristic of artists like Boëtius à Bolswert or Cornelis Bloemaert, notably in the masterful depiction of flowing drapery and the nuanced, fine-grained hatchwork that models the flesh tones.

The impression is strong and well-printed. There are several small replenished holes and a notable dot on the Magdalene’s arm; aside from these, the sheet is in good condition.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 21.7 x 16.3 cm

Price & Shipping:

AU$296 (approximately US$206.21 / €177.67 / £153.96), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this finely executed engraving that is highly probable to be based on a lost drawing by Abraham Bloemaert—or an independent creation by a skilled pupil—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will be happy to send a PayPal invoice for a smooth and secure transaction.

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. 

This print has been sold