Adriaen van Ostade’s etching, “Village Romance”, c1652

Adriaen van Ostade (aka Adriaen Jansz. van Ostade) 1610–85)

“Village Romance” (La Tendresse Villageoise), c1652 (BM)/1667 (Godefroy)

Etching and drypoint on buff coloured laid paper trimmed to the image borderline.

Size: (sheet) 15.5 x 12.1 cm

Inscribed at lower left: ”Av. Ostade”

I presume that this impression is state viii (?) (of xii) This attribution is based on the original signature of states iv and v is still partially visible beneath the signature, but the strong vertical strokes on the man’s hat of state ix are not evident. My only reservation about the attribution of this impression to state viii is that the BM has a copy of state viii available online and their impression has a nail mark in the window frame to the right of the young lady. This addition suggests that this impression may be from state vii before the addition of the nail (see a copy of state vii at the BM: S.1421) and if it is then this is a very rare print indeed and what Godefroy describes as “de toute rarté.” Note that in state xii (BM: S.1420) the nail has again disappeared but I do not believe that this impression is from the final state as state xii had additional shaping to the shadows cast by the vine on the upper right corner.

Hollstein 11.VIII; Bartsch I.355.11

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“A man embracing a woman in a doorway” (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1596912&partId=1&searchText=OSTADE+&page=1)

Condition: Superb impression trimmed along the image borderline. The print has minor age toning, but is otherwise in excellent condition (i.e. there are no holes, folds, stains, abrasions or foxing). There are glue dot remnants at each corner verso.

I am selling this stunningly beautiful print executed by one of the most important of the masters from the Dutch Golden Age for the total cost of AU$226 (currently US$176.80/EUR154.20/GBP135.33 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this major print of 17^th century that almost glows with light, 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 is a major print from the Dutch Golden Age. Beyond its significance in the great tradition set by Rembrandt of capturing the effect of glowing luminosity in juxtaposed lights and darks and the psychological leaning given to portraiture by Ostade’s teacher, Frans Hals, this print also exemplifies the spirit of rural narratives explored by such illustrious masters as Jan Steen and Cornelis Bega. Note, for instance the hand positions of the lady and the angling of her body suggesting her control countering the amorous advances of the gentleman.

Regarding the influences underpinning this print, S William Pelletier et al (1994) in “Adrianen van Ostade: Etchings of Peasant Life in Holland’s Golden Age” offer the following insight:

“The general composition type and the handling of the motif suggest that Ostade knew works like Jan Saenredam’s engraving of the sense of ‘Touch’, after Hendrick Goltzius, which also depicts a half-length amorous couple caressing” (p. 73).