Hans Burgkmair the Elder, “The Party of the Green King Surprising and Attacking the Party of the White King at a River”, c. 1514–16

Hans Burgkmair the Elder (1473–1531)

“The Party of the Green King Surprising and Attacking the Party of the White King at a River”, circa 1514–16

Description:

This dramatic scene depicts a chaotic, close-quarters river ambush during the Habsburg-Hungarian Wars (1477–1491). The imperial forces of the “White King” (Maximilian I [1459–1519]) are shown defending their positions on the right bank, their flags emblazoned with Maximilian’s personal emblem, the Cross of Burgundy—a distinctive saw-toothed X-shaped cross. They are caught off-guard and attacked from across the river by the Hungarian troops of the “Green King,” King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary (reigned 1458–1490), whose forces advance from the left bearing standards adorned with traditional vertical crosses.

This woodcut vividly captures the tension of the ambush, emphasising the chaos and movement of the battlefield, underpinned by the diagonal view of the river separating the two armies.

Technical Details & Condition:

Woodcut on fine laid paper (blank on the verso), trimmed unevenly with the left side slightly within the image border, and professionally backed with a support sheet of archival-quality washi paper. This print is part of a series of 236 woodcut illustrations created for the autobiographical account of Emperor Maximilian I, “Der Weisskunig” (The White King). The series was produced between 1514 and 1516 but remained unpublished until rediscovered in 1775. They were first published as a book by Hoffstätter in Vienna, and later reissued in 1799 by S. Edward in London under the French title, “Tableaux des principaux événements de la vie et du règne de l'empereur Maximilien I.” (Metropolitan Museum Object Number: 1986.1180.52).

This impression is strong, crisp, and evenly printed, representing an early state with minimal signs of wear. Aside from a minor tear in the lower left edge, the sheet is in excellent condition, free from holes, folds, abrasions, or stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet (trimmed unevenly): 22.2 x 18.4 cm

References:

• TIB 11.79 (Tilman Falk, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Sixteenth Century German Artists”, Vol. 11, 1980, New York, Abaris Books, cat. no. 80 [224] – 79)

Price & Shipping:

AU$288 (approximately US$200.26 / €174.93 / £150.16), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you’re interested in acquiring this large and historically significant woodcut—an evocative depiction of a pivotal moment in European history—please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase. 

This print has been sold

Charles Jacque, “Tir à la Bécasse”, 1864

Charles Jacque (also known as Charles Émile Jacque) (1813–1894)

“Tir à la Bécasse” (Woodcock Shooting), 1864

Description:

J.-J. Guiffrey (1866), in his catalogue raisonné of Charles Jacque’s etchings and drypoints, describes this print (in translation): “Beneath a tall canopy, a hunter, one knee resting on a large moss-covered stone, takes aim at two woodcocks that take flight. The left side is occupied by two large tree trunks; one entirely covered in ivy and vegetation. A dense thicket of tall trees fills the background.” (p. 89)

This scene captures a suspended moment of tension at the critical dramatic instant when a hunter aims his gun at woodcocks flying for cover amidst a lush woodland setting. It not only exemplifies Jacque’s confidence and ease with the etching needle but also showcases his keen observation of nature.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with dot-roulette on heavy, watermarked laid paper with wide margins. This is a rare first-state impression, prior to any lettering or publication marks. It is the first plate in a series of twenty-four executed in 1864 and distributed between 1864–1865 (Collection published in 1864, Guiffrey 177–201).

In the later published state of this etching, the inscribed details identify Sarazin (also known as Sarasin, active circa 1846–1880) as the printer.

Note: The British Museum holds an impression of the later, lettered state under: Museum Number 1865,0429.148 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1865-0429-148).

This impression is richly inked and well-printed, serving as an artist’s proof. It remains in near-pristine, museum-quality condition—entirely free of tears, holes, folds, stains, or handling marks.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 36.4 x 24.2 cm
• Platemark: 17.0 x 10.7 cm
• Image borderline: 15.6 x 9.9 cm

References:

• Guiffrey 177 (J.-J. Guiffrey, “L’Oeuvre de Ch. Jacque: Catalogue de ses Eaux-Fortes et Pointes Sèches,” 1866, Paris, Lemaire, p. 89, cat. no. 177 [Premier état])
• IFF 280 (Jean Adhémar & Jacques Lethève, “Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800: HUMBLOT–JYG,” vol. 11, 1960, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, p. 114, cat. no. 280)— Available via Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Gallica): https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5489301d/f126.item  

Price & Shipping:

AU$274 (approximately US$190.42 / €166.96 / £143.17), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you’re interested in acquiring this remarkable etching—where the fine white line of the hunter’s rifle, tilted toward the two flying woodcocks, becomes the dramatic focal point—please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

This print has been sold 

Claude Mellan, “Victor le Bouthillier”, 1658

Claude Mellan (1598–1688)

“Victor le Bouthillier” (Inscribed as “Victor le Boutillier”), 1658

Description:

This portrait depicts Victor le Bouthillier (c. 1597–1670), Archbishop of Tours and first chaplain to the Duke of Orléans. It was engraved by Claude Mellan after his own original design. The preparatory drawing for this portrait is preserved in the Hermitage Museum (inv. no. 4627). Mellan’s virtuoso technique is evident here, employing swelling parallel contour lines to sculpt the three-dimensional form—completely avoiding traditional cross-hatching. This specialised mastery is a hallmark of Mellan’s style, exemplified in his renowned work, “The Sudarium of Saint Veronica” (1649).

Technical Details & Condition:

Engraving on fine laid paper, professionally backed with archival-quality washi paper for structural longevity and excellent margins.

This is the third state of four. In this state, the full biographical text below the borderline is present after the original acanthus-leaf frame was cut down for publication in Michel Odieuvre's portrait anthology “L'Europe illustre” (1755–1765). It precedes the later fourth state of 1781, in which the biographical details of the subject were entirely erased from the copperplate (as seen in the National Gallery of Art collection: https://www.nga.gov/artworks/73744-victor-le-bouthillier).

This is a strong, crisp, and evenly printed impression. The sheet is in near-immaculate condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, or structural defects.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 18.9 x 14.6 cm
• Platemark: 16.4 x 12.5 cm
• Image borderline: 14.2 x 11.6 cm

In-Plate Lettering (below the image borderline):

• Left: “Mellan Sculp.”
• Centre: “VICTOR LE BOUTILLIER / Archevȇque de Tours. / Mort le 12. Septembre 1670. Agé de 74. anné.” (Translation: Victor Le Bouthillier, Archbishop of Tours. Died September 12, 1670. Aged 74 years.)

References:

•  Montaiglon 175 (Anatole de Montaiglon, “Catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre de Claude Mellan d'Abbeville”, 1856, Typographie de P. Briez, p. 150, cat. no. 175) —Available online via Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Anatole_de_Montaiglon_Catalogue_raisonn%C3%A9_de_l_oeuv?id=KlsCAAAAYAAJ
• IFF 163 (Maxime Préaud, “Inventaire du Fonds Français, Graveurs du XVIIe Siècle”, Vol 17, 1988, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Département des Estampes, pp. 113–14, cat. no. 163)—Available via Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Gallica): https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k4227544w/f116.item
• Compare with the first state impression held at the Rijksmuseum: Object Number RP-P-OB-69.960— https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200232446

Price & Shipping:

AU$256 (approximately US$178.57 / €157 / £134.31), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this finely executed portrait—crafted entirely in light and shade through variations in the thickness of parallel lines—please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I am happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless transaction.

Johann Jakob Thourneyser I, “Portrait of Maria Giovanna Battista of Savoy-Nemours”, 1678

Johann Jakob Thourneyser the Elder (also known as Johann Jakob Thourneysen, Jean Jacques Thourneysen) (1636–1711)

“Portrait of Maria Giovanna Battista of Savoy-Nemours” (also known as “Marie Jeanne Baptiste de Savoye” [Rondot]) 1679

Description:

This superb example of high-Baroque portraiture features the Duchess and Regent of Savoy, Maria Giovanna Battista of Savoy-Nemours (1644–1724), portrayed as a sculpted bust resting on a plinth. The portrait is set within a frame of bold auricular (ear-like) scrolls with an inner wreath of rolling acanthus leaves.

At the base of the plinth, a heraldic shield sits beneath a sovereign crown, signifying her marital alliance and affirming her absolute authority as Regent for her young son, Victor Amadeus II. Due to the natural mirroring process inherent to 17th-century engraving, the components of the shield appear laterally reversed on the paper: the viewer's right features the striking white cross of her husband's lineage (the House of Savoy), while the left displays the intricate quarterly divisions of her own paternal house of Nemours.

Flanking the crest on the lower right corner of the image is a crowned cornucopia, embellished with a fortified city wall and stalks of grain—serving as an allegory of prosperity, celebrating the peace, security, and economic abundance achieved under her governance.

Technical Details & Condition:

Engraving on laid paper, trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline, and professionally backed with a support sheet of archival-quality washi paper.

This is a strong, crisp, and evenly printed impression. Aside from small replenished chips along the edges, the sheet remains in good condition with no significant stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 34.1 x 23.4 cm
• Image borderline: 33.8 x 22.8 cm

In-Plate Lettering:

• Lower-left: “I. I. Thourneyser Helv. Basil. Sculpsit Lugduni” (Translation: “Iohannes Iacobus [or Johann Jakob] Thourneyser, a Swiss person from Basel engraved it in Lugdunum [the ancient Roman name for the city of Lyon, France]”)
• Lower-centre: “[1]679.”

References:

• Rondot 55 (Natalis Rondot, “Les Thurneysen: graveurs d'estampes lyonnais au XVIIe …”, 1899, Bernoux et Cumin, p. 61, cat. no. 55)—Available online via Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Natalis_Rondot_Les_Thurneysen_Graveurs_d_estampes?id=HcFIAQAAIAAJ

Price & Shipping:

AU$278 (approximately US$194.73 / €170.78 / £146.02), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this exceptionally rare and historically significant engraving, please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I am happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless transaction.

This print has been sold