Hendrik Hondius I, “Composita. s. Tactus”, c. 1607, after Paul Vredeman de Vries

Hendrik Hondius I (1573–1650)

“Composita. s. Tactus” (also known as “Portal of a Building with Composite Columns and the Sense of Touch”), circa 1606/7

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching with engraving on fine laid paper, with full margins as issued upon publication. The impression is strong, crisp, and evenly printed. The sheet has been professionally stabilised and backed with a support sheet of archival-quality washi paper.

Aside from minor handling marks in the margin (primarily along the lower edge) and a restored abraded area in the upper-right corner of the margin, the sheet remains in good condition for its considerable age.

This work is Plate 5 in the five-part series “The Five Senses,” which is integrated into the larger series of thirty-one plates, “Architectura” (also known as “The Books of Architecture”). This print is inscribed as Plate KK at the lower right.

The composition is based on a design by the Flemish painter and draughtsman Paul Vredeman de Vries (1567–circa 1630). The print was initially published in The Hague in 1606 by Hondius, with a later edition issued in Amsterdam in 1617.

Iconography:

This print allegorically links the physical sensation of touch with the Classical architectural style of the Composite Order. The scene is depicted in dramatic one-point perspective, featuring a grand building’s portal with theatrical poses of two figures embodying the sense of touch.

On the left, a woman recoils as a bird pecks her outstretched finger, illustrating the sensation of sharpness. On the right, a boy winces as a dog bites his leg, signifying pain.

The title inscription explicitly reinforces this dual theme using the Latin word “s.” (an abbreviation for sive, meaning “or” / “namely”), structurally declaring the scene to be either the architectural order or the sensation itself: COMPOSITA. s. TACTVS. (Composite, or Touch). The other four companion prints in this series align the remaining classical architectural styles with the human senses: 

• Tuscan Order with Sight 
• Doric Order with Hearing 
• Ionic Order with Smell 
• Corinthian Order with Taste 

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 26.3 x 37 cm
• Platemark: 23.6 x 33.6 cm

Plate Lettering (below the image):

• Left: “Paul de vriese Invent.”
• Centre: “COMPOSITA. 5. TACTVS.”
• Right: “Hh form. Cum priuill. KK”

References:

• Hollstein Dutch 619 (F.W.H. Hollstein, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts ca. 1450–1700,” Vol. IX: Hendriksen–Hoppenbrouwers)
• Hollstein Dutch 161 (Nested under Paul Vredeman de Vries volume entries, Vol. X, p. 91, cat. no. 161 [Les Cinq Rangs de l'Architecture])
• New Hollstein Dutch 606 (Nadine Orenstein, “The New Hollstein: Hendrick Hondius,” entry within the 576–606 series allocation)
• Rijksmuseum: Object Number BI-1897-A-1240-26 — https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200614047
• British Museum: Museum Number 1933,0614.132— https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1933-0614-132

Price & Shipping:

AU$287 (approximately US$202.35 / €175.32 / £150.27—subject to daily currency fluctuations) including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you’re interested in acquiring this rare allegorical etching, connecting the sense of touch with the principles of classical architecture, please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a smooth, fully protected transaction.

Valentin Lefebre, “Youth and Old Age”, 1682, after Veronese (2nd copy)

Valentin Lefebre (also known as Valentin Le Fevre, Valentin Le Febre, Valentin Lefebure, Valentin Lefebvre) (1637–1677)

“Youth and Old Age” (Gioventù e Vecchiaia), 1682

Provenance & Iconography Note:

While some prominent institutional collections (such as the National Gallery of Victoria) catalogue this print under the literal description of “Saint Peter” due to the figure on the right holding keys, it is historically and allegorically the personification of “Youth and Old Age.” It reproduces a famous ceiling composition by Paolo Veronese located in the Sala del Consiglio dei Dieci (Hall of the Council of Ten) in the Doge's Palace, Venice.

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on fine laid paper with wide margins.

This etching is part of a series of fifty-three plates titled “Opera Selectiora” (Selected Works), reproducing paintings by Titian (also known as Vecellio Tiziano) (1489/90–1576) and Paolo Veronese (also known as Paolo Caliari) (1528–1588).

This impression features the lower right plate inscription of the original Venice publisher, Jacobus van Campen (active 1682). This confirms the sheet is from the highly sought-after initial editions of 1682 or 1684, prior to the late 18th-century editions (1786/1789) where the publisher Teodoro Viero acquired the plates and added his own address.

The impression is strong and crisp. The sheet is in near-pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or stains.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 39.9 x 24.4 cm
• Platemark: 29.8 x 14.9 cm
• Image borderline: 29.2 x 14.3 cm

Plate Lettering (below the image):

• Left: “V. lefebre del. et sculp.”
• Centre: “PAVLVS CALIARŸ, VERONENSIS. IN. &. PINX.”
• Right: “J. Van Campen. F. Venetÿs.”

References:

• Hollstein 1–53 (F.W.H. Hollstein, “Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts ca. 1450–1700: L'ADMIRAL–LUCAS VAN LEYDEN,” vol. 10, 1954, Amsterdam, Menno Hertzberger, p. 46, cat. nos. 1–53)
• Villot 43 (Frédéric Villot, “Le cabinet de l'amateur et de l'antiquaire: revue des tableaux, et des estampes anciennes, des objets d'art, d'antiquité et de curiosité”, Vol. 3, 1844, pp. 169–197)
• Ruggeri I.43 (Ugo Ruggeri, “Valentin Lefèvre dipinti, disegni, incisioni”, 2001, Manerba, Merigo Art Books,)
• Rijksmuseum: Object Number RP-PHH-1184 (Catalogued as Jeugd and Ouderdom)— https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200218709
• National Gallery of Victoria (NGV): Accession Number 919.83-4 (Catalogued as Saint Peter)— https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/39624/

Price & Shipping:

AU$266 (approximately US$186.65 / €162.16 / £139.00—subject to daily currency fluctuations) including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this exceptional allegorical work, please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a smooth, fully protected transaction.

Collector's Note: Notice how the tight, pictorial cropping of the figures within the oval frame creates a fascinating “keyhole” effect. It beautifully separates our immediate viewer's space from the loftier, timeless world of the allegorical figures.

This print has been sold 

Workshop of Marco Antonio Rossi, “Q and R”, 1598

Workshop of Marco Antonio Rossi (active late-1500s)— author of ornamental capital designs

“Q and R”, 1598

Technical Details & Condition:

Engraving with etching on fine laid paper, issued with full margins. The fragile historic sheet has been professionally stabilised and backed with a support sheet of archival-quality washi paper.

This engraving is an illustration to Marco Antonio Rossi’s “Giardino de scrittori... nel quale si vede il vero modo di scriver facilissimamente tutte le sorte di lettere” (The Writers’ Garden... in which the true method to easily write all manners of letters is seen), published in Rome in 1598 and dedicated to Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini.

Unlike traditional structural alphabets, Rossi's plates from this series combine strict Renaissance geometric constraints—using circles, squares, and diagonal vectors to map the ideal imperial Roman capital—alongside fluid, late-Mannerist decorative flourishes and ribbon-work. While the methodology updates classical theories popularised earlier by masters like Albrecht Dürer, the specific presentation, compass guideline lines, and ornamental style are entirely unique to Rossi’s late 16th-century Roman workshop.

The impression is strong, crisp, and evenly inked. Aside from professionally restored abraded areas and minor age-related staining, the sheet remains in fair to good condition for a graphic work of this age.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 20.0 x 28 cm
• Platemark: 16.7 x 23.9 cm

References:

• Luc Devroye (McGill University): Marco Antonio Rossi— https://luc.devroye.org/fonts-45515.html

Price & Shipping:

AU$263 (approximately US$184.61 / €160.13 / £137.13), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you’re interested in acquiring this rare and historically significant example of a template for constructing the perfect Roman imperial capitals for the letters “Q” and “R,” please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I’ll be happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

This print has been sold