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

Jules Jacquemart, “The Approach of the Storm”, 1872, after Jan van de Capelle

Jules Jacquemart (also known as Jules Ferdinand Jacquemart) (1837–1880)

“The Approach of the Storm” (“L'Approche de L'Orage”), 1872 (published 1875)

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on fine cream laid paper with generously wide full margins as issued. It was printed in Paris by François Liénard (active c. 1860s–1880s) and published in 1875, facing pate 384, in the first volume of the French art periodical “L'Art.” The etching is based on a painting by Jan van de Capelle (also known as Jan van de Cappelle) (1624–1679).

The impression is strong, crisp and evenly printed—a faultless impression. Aside from a thin area in the lower margin, only visible when the sheet is held to the light, the sheet is in near pristine condition, free of tears, holes, folds, stains, or handling marks.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 27.4 x 37.1 cm
• Platemark: 15.2 x 18.5 cm
• Image borderline: 11.8 x 14.6 cm

In-Plate lettering (below the image):

• Left: “Jan van der Cappelle, pinx. / “L'Art.”
• Centre: “L'APPROCHE DE L'ORAGE”
• Right: “J. Jacquemart, sc. / F^çois Liénard, Imp. Paris.”

References:

• IFF 37 (Jean Adhémar & Jacques Lethève, “Inventaire du Fonds Français après 1800: HUMBLOT–JYG,” vol. 11, 1960, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, pp. 142–43, cat. no. 37)— Available via Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Gallica): https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5489301d/f155.item
• British Museum: Museum Number 1877,0210.437— https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1877-0210-437

Price & Shipping:

AU$214 (approximately US$150.34 / €130.42 / £111.51), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you’re interested in acquiring this superb etching of an approaching storm—note how the artist masterfully intensifies the darkness of the advancing storm through subtle tonal gradients back to the horizon—please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I’ll be happy to provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.

(Inscribed) R. Blum, “Rest on the Flight into Egypt”, 1821, after Bolswert and Bloemaert

Early German Lithograph — Inscribed “R. Blum Hanau 1821”

“Rest on the Flight into Egypt”, 1821

Technical Details & Condition:

Lithograph printed in black ink from a key stone with a grey tint stone on heavy wove paper. The sheet has been trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline and professionally backed with a support sheet of archival-quality washi paper.

The lower edge of the sheet features partially trimmed, historical handwritten notations in brown ink:

• (left) “[A/]B. Bloemart” (referencing the master designer, Abraham Bloemaert [1564–1651])
• (right) “R. Blum Hanau 1821” (referencing the printmaker or early academic collection)

The design of this print is after Boetius Adams Bolswert’s engraving (1612–15) which in turn is after Abraham Bloemaert’s composition (see my listing of Bolswert’s engraving: https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2016/10/boetius-adams-bolswerts-engraving-after.html).

The impression is evenly printed with strong tonal contrasts. The upper right corner has been expertly replenished, and there are old, professionally restored tears, chips, and creases. Aside from these early structural instabilities (now stabilised by the washi backing), the sheet remains in good, stable condition without significant staining.

Historical Context:

Executed in 1821, shortly after the development of lithography by Alois Senefelder, this piece exemplifies early experimentation with the medium. It features the use of a mid-tone tint stone, employs a grainy line to mimic the texture of a chalk drawing, and showcases direct scraping on the stone matrix to enhance tonal contrast—visible, for example, in the Christ child's halo.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 40.4 x 32.4 cm
• Image borderline: 39.5 x 31.5 cm

Price & Shipping:

AU$296 (approximately US$207.95 / €180.40 / £154.19), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you’re interested in acquiring this rare artefact from the dawn of lithography, please contact me directly at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly provide a secure PayPal invoice for a seamless purchase.