Aegidius Sadeler’s, “Rabbit Hunting”, after Roelandt Savery

Aegidius Sadeler ll (aka Gillis Sadeler; Egidius Sadler; Ægedius Sadeler) (1570–1629)

“Rabbit Hunting”, c.1610–13 from the series, “Six Landscapes”, after Roelandt Savery (1576–1639)

Etching and engraving on laid paper, trimmed to the image borderline

Size: (sheet) 21.2 x 28 cm

Bartsch: 7201.244; Hollstein: 236

Condition: superb impression of a rare and important print by Sadeler. The print is slightly age-toned, trimmed to the image borderline without text lines; otherwise in excellent condition. (Note the verso shows what may be a support sheet lining but I am uncertain if this is the case).

This print has been sold

This is one of Aegidius Sadeler’s masterworks. Superficially, the print depicts a hunter shooting rabbits—after all, the title of the work is “Rabbit Hunting.” To my eyes, however, the real subject is not about hunting but rather it’s about a shaft of light penetrating into a shadowy forest following the angle of a fallen tree.

If I were asked to explain what makes this print a masterwork, for me, the answer lies beyond what is portrayed and rests with the subtle ways that Sadeler is able to communicate the phenomenon of intense light penetrating darkness. In short, the remarkable quality of this print is not really about WHAT is depicted but HOW the subject is depicted. For a more involved discussion about Sadeler’s treatment of light, see my earlier article: “Representing light: Sadeler, Lalanne, Dananache, Desbrosses & Lepere: What are some of the ways that artists can depict strong light?” (http://www.printsandprinciples.com/2012/10/sadeler-lalanne-dananache-desbrosses.html) 

Pieter Serwouters’ etching of a crossbowman after David Vinckboons

Pieter Serwouters (aka Petrus Serwout) (1586–1657)

“Man with a Crossbow”, c.1607–08, after David Vinckboons (aka David Vinckeboons; David Vinckboins) (1576–1632), printed by Pieter Goos (aka Pierre Goosen) (1616–c.75)

Etching on fine laid paper trimmed to the image borderline and without the lettered textbox giving publication details and two lines of verse.

Size: (sheet) 24.3 x 19.5 cm

Lettered at the lower edge: "DVBoons Inuentor / PSerwouter Scalp."

The British Museum offers the following description of this print in its fourth state with two lines of English verses (this impression is from an earlier state before these lines of verse were inscribed):

“The Crossbowman; landscape with the archer kneeling at centre, in frontal view and aiming his crossbow at the viewer, a dog at left, a basket with dead birds at right, several archers shooting a popinjay in left background; fourth state with English inscription; after David Vinckboons.” (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3099537&partId=1&people=107773&peoA=107773-2-60&page=1)

Note: the BM also has a drawing by an anonymous artist after this print (see: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=692325&partId=1&searchText=1899,0120.83.&page=1)  

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print which may be from the same earlier state than the impression held by the BM:

“A kneeling man pointing his crossbow accurately. Next to him is a basket of shot birds, on the other side lies a dog. Sitting on a tree branch above him an owl that poops hunter on his head. In the background, an archer tournament, which will be shot with crossbows on a bird on a pole.” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.175152)

Hollstein 18.IV (F W H Hollstein 1949, “Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts c.1450-1700”, Amsterdam)

Condition: richly inked impression but unevenly printed at the top edge. The sheet is lightly age-toned and with small tears (repaired), flattened horizontal folds (visible verso but not recto) and a few pin holes.

I am selling this remarkable old master print from the Renaissance era for a total cost of AU$550 (currently US$415.07/EUR389.90/GBP331.26 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this lethally charged print, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold

This image of a peasant aiming his crossbow at the viewer is a perfect example of an image that engages with its audience by inviting a reflexive/instinctive response AND in encouraging reflective/contemplative thoughts.

In terms of my own engagement with this image, my eyes are instinctively drawn as an involuntary response—a bit like being hit on the knee with a hammer and finding that one’s leg kicks involuntarily—to the arrow (technically a bolt or quarrel) pointed at me. The threat, even if it is only a printed image of a threat, seems real and I have to consciously arrest my attention from staring at the source of my feeling of alarm. (For those unfamiliar with the head of a bolt, it is not tapered to a sharp point like an arrow but is flat as shown here.) After I successfully disengage my involuntary response of alarm, I can then take in the rest of the portrayed scene and, a bit like Sherlock Holmes, piece together a contextual narrative for why this figure is about to shoot me.

Regarding the reflective mode that this image facilitates, note how the owl above the crossbowman adds a touch of schadenfreude (shameful humour) to the scene by giving the threatening bowman droppings of appropriate justice for what he is doing. 

Martin Rota’s engraving, “Christ as the Man of Sorrows”

Martin Rota (aka Martino Rota; Martin Rota Kolunić; Martinus Rota Sebenicensis) (c.1520–83)

“Christ as the Man of Sorrows", 1568, published by Nicola Nelli (c.1530–post 1576)

Engraving on fine laid paper, trimmed at the platemark, marked with the monogram of the publisher “NN” (Nicola Nelli), dated on the plate at centre of lower edge, “1568”, and lettered on the side of the sarcophagus cover (partly decipherable) with the acronym: “M · R · S · F” (Martin Rota Sebenicensis Fecit)

Size: (sheet) 17.1 x 13.4 cm

Condition: this is a print of the utmost rarity (it may even be a unique copy) with a few very small abrasions otherwise in excellent condition. The sheet is trimmed to the platemark and there is a pint hole towards the lower right corner. There are ink and pencil inscriptions (verso) along with a collector’s stamp “FA.”

I am selling this small masterpiece for a total cost of AU$460 (currently US$347/EUR324.81/GBP276.78 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing very rare, museum quality print, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold

This simple but very beautiful engraving has almost been the death of me over the last three days. As an act of sharing my woes and unburdening my angst onto others, I’ve decided to give an account of my adventures.

My journey of discovery began when I decided to separate the sheet from the backing board onto which it was glued. I needed to do this operation as I could see glimpses of inscriptions on the back of the sheet that looked interesting and, more important, the glue used for attaching the sheet to the backing board had stained its way through to the front of the sheet marring the image. For this operation, I simply laid the print and its backing board in a bath of water (with no chemical additives) for an evening dip. In the morning I was relieved to find that the print was floating above the backing board and the glue (whatever it was) had dissolved away completely and even the stain on the front of the image had miraculously disappeared. Marvellous.

After drying the print, I examined its back. At the very top of the sheet (verso) I saw pencils numbers that I assumed were a collector’s catalogue references and below them, an ink inscription written in an old but dreadful hand that I assumed to be a previous collector’s name: “Grauwels Bruse”. Further down, I saw an ink-stamped monogram of entwined initials, “FA”, no doubt another past collector, but my interest didn’t lead me to try to identify who this might be. Instead my eyes were fixated on the pencil inscription: “Martin Rota Sibenicensis fecit.” This name seemed to verify that the print was by Rota as I had purchased it from a dealer as a genuine Rota. Alas, this is the beginning of my woes.

I consulted the Bartsch catalogue raisonné for Rota (1979, Vol. 33) never expecting even for a moment that I would have difficulty in finding the print with its title and Bartsch number. I was in shock, however, as it wasn’t there. I then checked on the British Museum’s holdings of Rota prints and they didn’t have it either. I then checked everywhere and no museum had this print. I was VERY uneasy!

Next, came the painful process of verifying that this print was a genuine Rota despite the fact that it wasn’t listed ANYWHERE. And so began the painstaking process of comparison of small details in this print with verified—Bartsch approved—prints by Rota. At this point, I can say with deep satisfaction that I now know more than I did before about the way that Rota renders woodgrain on crosses. Moreover, from endless comparisons with other artists’ versions of “Christ as the Man of Sorrows” executed in much the same time period, I now know that very few artists portray Christ with a well-toned six-pack as depicted by Rota in his prints. For example, Israhel van Meckenem (c.1445–1503) in his “Gregorian Man of Sorrows” (Bartsch 9[6].135[251]) shows Christ with a stretched and sunken abdomen appropriate for a man who has just been crucified.

The final stage in my research should really have been the first stage: to study the inscriptions on the print itself. Up to this stage I had ignored the lettered “NN exc” inscribed on the side of the tomb as I had assumed that it simply signified the publisher name, Nicola Nelli, and had little bearing on the name of the engraver. Of course I was wrong. After consulting the list of 16^th century publishers in “Prints after Giulio Clovio” (1998, see p. 133) I discovered that Nelli SPECIALISED in publishing Rota’s prints (among other artists). What also surprised me is that Nelli executed prints in the style of Rota but “the drawing is inferior to Rota’s” (ibid).

When I read this remark, depression hit me in the sense that I then assumed that Nelli not only published the print but also engraved it. The other featured letters shown on side of the tomb’s cover, “M · R · S · F”, I had no idea what they could mean. That is, until the thought occurred to me that that they were the first letters of Rota’s name, an acronym for “Martin Rota Sebenicensis”  and the final “F” signifying the all-important piece of information: Fecit” (i.e. the print was executed by Rota).

Ridinger’s etching, “Adam names the Animals” from the “Paradise” series

Johann Elias Ridinger (aka Johann Elias Riedinger) (1698–1767)

“Adam names the Animals” (Genesis 2. 19. 20: “The man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field; but for man there was not found a helper suitable for him.” [Word English Bible]), 1745, published in Augsburg 1767, from the series, “Das Paradies oder die Schöpfung und der Sündenfall des ersten Menschenpaares (Paradise: the Creation, the fall of man and the expulsion of the first couple of man“)

The British Museum offers the following description of this series and its publication:

“A bound portfolio containing twelve prints illustrating Adam and Eve in Paradise; the creation and fall of man. c.1730–60 Etching with some engraving; in the original blue wrapper”

(http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3407596&partId=1&searchText=Ridinger+otter&page=1)

Etching and engraving on heavy brown paper.

Size: (sheet) 43.5 x 63.5 cm; (plate) 39 x 53.5 cm; (image borderline) 35 x 52 cm

Each sheet in the Paradise series is lettered with bible quote inscribed in German, French and Latin and lettered with production and publication detail: “Ioh. Elias Ridinger invenit fec et excud. A V.

Thienemann 1856 807-181 (Georg Thienemann 1856, “Johann Elias Ridinger, Maler und Kupferstecher, nach Seinem Leben un Wirken”, Leipzig, Rudolph Weigel); Nagler 6

Condition: exceptionally rare and near faultless impression printed on brown paper with margins as published. There are remnants of mounting tape (verso)

This print has been sold along with the other plates from the Paradise series

(which I will be posting soon)

This print shows the very first sunrise as described in the Old Testament with Adam broadly gesturing to the rich diversity of animals filling the Garden of Eden.

Ridinger clearly wanted this and the other plates from his “Paradise” series to be an ultimate statement about God’s handiwork; after all the conspicuous consumption of time committed to the plate is plain to see. Ridinger certainly ensured that every square inch of this particular plate is “filled to the brim” or, to borrow another phrase, “packed to the rafters” with every critter imaginable. Not only do they seem to struggle to be in our view but many of them interact with each other with a slight hint of territory marking.

Leaving aside the shameful idea proposed to me that these animals are slightly eroticised and question Adam’s interest in them—mindful that Eve has not set foot in the garden at this point in the story—my interest centres on the birds in the sky. My interest in these birds is that at the time when this print was being executed the world was beginning to hear about the Birds of Paradise in New Guinea. More exciting than this, a marvellous folklore had arisen that such birds never landed but spent their lives perpetually flying in a sky paradise with their eggs and young ones tucked safely in their feathers.

Regarding the significance of this print and the others of the series, an interesting website that discusses Ridinger’s plates is “Niemeyer’s AHA! Events” (December 2013) which offers the following insight into Ridinger’s aim:

“‘… to show the manifold zoological manifestations, the presentation of carefully painted native and exotic animals’, the latter he had become acquainted with as court painter of emperor Rudolph II, at once setting himself apart from the majority of the Dutch colleagues who had to confine themselves to domestic animals.” (http://aha.luederhniemeyer.com/aha1312e.php; the in text quote may be from Kurt J. Müllenmeister’s “Roelant Savery” / Die Gemälde. 1988) 

Engraving by Hendrik Goltzius/Hieronymus Wierix, “Mula et Asinus”, after Johannes Stradanus

Hendrik Goltzius (aka Hendrick Goltzius) (1558–1617) or (?) Hieronymus Wierix (aka Hieronymus Wierx; Jerome Wierix) (1553–1619)

(Note: This plate is from the series of forty-three plates, “Equile Ioannis Austriaci” (The Stable of Don John of Austria). The curator of the British Museum advises that the title plate is “signed by Adriaen Collaert, but Hendrik Goltzius and Hieronymus Wierix also worked on the series, only a selection of plates signed.” Based on the distinctive use of the “dotted lozenge” device for rendering tone employed by Hendrik Goltzius, I lean to the idea that this print is executed by Goltzius, but I could be wrong.)

“Mula et Asinus” (Mule and Ass), 1578, after Johannes Stradanus (aka Jan van der Straet; Joannes Stradanus; Jan van der Straet; Giovanni della Strada; Jan van der Straeten; Giovanni Statenensis; Giovanni Stradano; (1523– 1605), from the series, “Equile Ioannis Austriaci” (The Stable of Don John of Austria), possibly published by Philips Galle (aka Philippe Galle; Philippus Gallaeus) (1537–1612) as the other prints in this series are published by Galle.

(Note: The title plate to the series and its description may be seen at the British Museum: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1619159&partId=1&searchText=stradanus+wierix+1957,0413.178&page=1)

Engraving on fine laid paper, trimmed to the image borderline but without the text box showing publication details.

Size: (sheet) 19.3 x 26.4 cm

Lettered within the image at the upper edge: “MVLA ET ASINVS”

The British Museum offers the following description of this print;
“Mula et Asinus; in the foreground, a mule stands with its reins tied to a tree stump, to right; behind, an ass; beyond, a rural landscape with lake” (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1619439&partId=1&searchText=1957,0413.178&page=1) 

New Hollstein (Dutch & Flemish) 557.I (Johannes Stradanus) (F W H Hollstein 1993, “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts 1450-1700” [Johannes Stradanus], Amsterdam); Baroni Vannucci 1997 692.41 (Alessandra Baroni Vannucci 1997, “Jan van der Straet, Belgium, Brepols)

Condition: faultless, museum quality impression, trimmed to the image borderline in pristine condition. This is a superb impression.

I am selling this small masterpiece by either Goltzius or Hieronymus Wierix (see my explanatory note above) for a total cost of AU$398 (currently US$301.09/EUR279.99/GBP238.92 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing very rare, museum quality print in pristine condition, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold

For many academics the name of the engraver who executed this marvellous print is a mystery. The problem is that most of the forty-three plates (of which this is one) that make up the series, “Equile Ioannis Austriaci” (The Stable of Don John of Austria), are not signed. Fortunately, the choice of who the engraver might be is narrowed down to just three artists whose names are given on the few plates that are signed: Adriaen Collaert, Hendrik Goltzius and Hieronymus Wierix.

From a personal standpoint, the choice is not that hard as I would be highly surprised if the engraver were to be Adriaen Collaert. Collaert is a fine engraver capable of rendering surfaces in a very mimetic way using line and dot, but not in the same highly nuanced way that this mule and ass are drawn (see an example of Collaert’s approach to drawing horses and mules in the engraving, “Plate 4: A horse and two mules” (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1462440&partId=1&searchText=Adriaen+Collaert&page=1). To my mind this leaves the choice to be either the sublime, Goltzius, or Hieronymus Wierix—the man who killed a woman when he was drunk.

Again, Hieronymus Wierix can render the finest detail as if he worked entirely with a magnifying lens, but these animals are not drawn in the same way even though they are portrayed with a great deal of attention (see an example of H Wierix’s approach to drawing horses in the engraving, “Flight into Egypt” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.331864 ). Wierix has unbelievable control of the burin, but his approach is a bit clinically cold and the treatment of the horses in this print make me feel as if the artist really knew about the muscles and bones under the flesh.

My choice of artist for the crown of attribution is Goltzius and the reason is fairly straight forward: the treatment of the shading uses dots placed between areas of cross-hatching and this is Goltzius’ signature device; the so called “dotted lozenge.” To my mind there is very little doubt that this beautiful print is executed by the master engraver: Hendrik Goltzius. Sadly, as my cook often points out to me: I have been wrong in the past.

Anders Zorn’s etching, “Girl with a Cigarette”

Anders Zorn (aka Anders Leonard Zorn) (1860–1920)

“Girl with a Cigarette”, (Cigarrettrökerska II), 1891

(See the painting relating to this subject at Christie’s auction, Sale 2885, “19th Century European Art”, 27 October 2014, New York, Rockefeller Center: http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/anders-zorn-swedish-1860-1920-the-cigarette-girl-5834661-details.aspx)

Etching with drypoint and plate tone, printed in bistre coloured ink on wove paper, trimmed with thread margins and laid upon a support sheet of heavy wove white paper with generous margins.

Size: (support sheet) 42 2 x 36; (plate) 15.7 x 11.7 cm; (image borderline) 15 x 11.2 cm

Printed immediately below (but outside) the platemark (i.e. this text is not inscribed on the plate): “Original-Radirung von Anders Leonard Zorn (f. Seite 168)”

The curator of the British Museum offers the following information about this print in the BM collection: 

“Text from Frances Carey, 'Modern Scandinavian Prints', BM 1997, cat.14: This impression is one of 425 unsigned copies published by the F.f.G.K. in 1893; the first plate, which was identical in size, was abandoned by Zorn after pulling only three proofs. The subject is an American girl in Paris, whose smoking habit marks her out as one of a new generation of more liberated women.” (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1452848&partId=1&searchText=zorn+cigarette&page=1)

Delteil 62 (Loys Delteil 1902, “Le Peintre-Graveur Illustré [XIXe et XXe siècles]”, 31 vols, Paris); Asplund 1920 62.II (Karl Asplund1920, “Zorn's Engraved Work. A Descriptive Catalogue”, Stockholm, Bukowski)

Condition: well-printed impression, trimmed to the platemark and laid on heavy wove white paper with large margins. There is a small restored tear on the lower edge and a nick in the upper left margin (both defects are difficult to see).

I am selling this iconic etching by Zorn for a total cost of AU$275 (currently US$208.20/EUR193.76/GBP167.50 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing very important print epitomising the Belle Époque in Paris, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold

This print expresses what must have been a liberating time in Paris towards the close of the nineteenth century. Certainly the spirit of change is easy to see in the works of artists living in Monmartre like Toulouse-Lautrec. To better understand the spirit of liberation captured in this print, Catherine Sawinski, Assistant Curator of Earlier European Art at the Milwaukee Art Museum, explains its essence perfectly: “This young lady is a ‘modern girl,’ one who smokes in public and doesn’t care what others think! In a way, Zorn presents her as a symbol of the cultural changes of the late nineteenth century. He wrote that his model for this image was an American who had moved to Paris in order to take advantage of the excitement that the city had to offer.” (https://blog.mam.org/2016/06/21/from-the-collection-anders-zorn-captures-modern-life/) 

Frans de Neve’s etching, “Shepherdess Playing a Basque Drum”

Frans de Neve (II) (aka Franciscus de Neve; Francois de Neue; Bloosaerken) (1606–87)

“Shepherdess Playing a Basque Drum”, c.1621–87

Etching on wove paper trimmed to, or within, the platemark and lined on a conservator’s support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 31 x 39.4 cm; (image borderline) 30.2 x 39 cm.

Stamped with the monograms of the collectors: Friedrich August II, King of Saxonia (Lugt 971) and Peterson (Lugt 2064). Inscribed in the lower margin: "Franciscus de Neue In. e fecit." and "Si Stampano da Gio: Iacomo de Rossi in Romae alla Pace."

Hollstein 13; Bartsch IV.124.13

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Landscape with a seated woman playing tambourine in the centre, being watched by a young man to the left, trees on either side, mountains in the background” (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1673511&partId=1&searchText=Frans+de+Neve&page=1)

Condition: well-inked impression showing little or no wear. The sheet has been recently washed and laid upon a conservator’s support sheet to address the previous dustiness, handling marks and fragility of the sheet. There are small stains.

I am selling this etching—one of my personal favourite prints in all of my collection—for the total cost of AU$306 (currently US$239.39/EUR215.24/GBP185.34 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this museum quality master print that was once in the collection of Friedrich August II, King of Saxonia (Lugt 971) and Peterson (Lugt 2064), please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold

Frans (aka Franciscus) de Neve has been a bit of a problem for art writers as he shared the same first name as his father, resulting in a "smudging" in the attribution of both artists' works. Fortunately there is no problem with the attribution of this print as it is part of the son's oeuvre: Frans/Franciscus II. What is also interesting about the son is his nickname, Bloosaerken/Blaserken, which was bestowed upon him by his fellow members of the Bentvueghels—an association of Dutch and Flemish artists who were working in Rome at the time.

Great prints are often more than the sum of their parts; for me, the parts can be just as revealing as the whole image. To understand what I mean by this curious comment, see the detail of the maiden's hand tapping her tambourine and note the variation and sensitivity of the artist's treatment of the hand's silhouette edge. Certainly this print and this particular impression has caught the eye of at least one of the great collectors of prints as his seal/stamp graces the bottom corner: Friedrich August II, King of Saxonia (Lugt 971).