Nicolas Beatrizet’s engraving, “Battle of the Amazons” (the right panel), 1559

Nicolas Beatrizet (aka Nicolas Beatricetto) (c1507/15–73 or after)

The right panel of the two-plate composite print, “Battle of the Amazons” (TIB title) or “Amazonum pugna adfabre efficta de sarcophago vetustissimo quod in Capitolio visitur ...” (The Amazon fight skillfully fashioned from ancient sarcophagus is seen at the Capitol …), 1559, from the series, “Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae” (The Mirror of Roman Magnificence), originally published by the artist and later published by Hendrik van Schoel (c1565–1622) as is the case with this impression. Interestingly, the name of Schoel that is inscribed on this impression is evidence that Bellini’s opinion expressed in “Print Collector” (1975, p. 34), that Schoel’s name is only found replacing that of G Orlandi is not correct.

Engraving on laid paper, trimmed along the plate mark and lined (by an early restorer) on an support sheet.

(sheet cut irregularly) 31.2 x 41.8 cm

Lettered below the image in two lines: “ATQVE IN EDIBVS SVIS SVA QVE IMPENSA NICOLAVS BEATRIVICS LOTHARINGVS IN LVCEM AD COMMVNEM OMNVM QVI REBVS ANTIVIS / EMISIT K . IAN . M . D . LIX. Henricus Van Schoel. excudit”

State either iii or iv (of iv) with the addition of the name of van Schoel as the publisher

TIB 1982 29.98 (267) (pp. 362–63); Bartsch XV.267.98; Robert-Dumesnil IX.171.98; Huelsen 1921 50.a; Quaritch Catalogue 233; Zorach 65.35

See also: Clay Dean, Theresa Fairbanks, Lisa Pon, Yale University Art Gallery “Changing Impressions: Marcantonio Raimondi and Sixteenth-Century Print Connoisseurship”. Exh. cat. Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, December 14, 1999–February 13, 2000, cat. no. 28 & 29, pp. 78 & 79 and Peter Parshall 2006, "Antonio' Lafreri's 'Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae'" Print Quarterly. 1, London.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“The Battle of the Amazons, with fighting men and women, many on horseback; after a Roman sarcophagus on the Capitol. 1559 Engraving printed from two plates joined down the centre” (Note that this impression is from the right plate) (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1605292&partId=1&searchText=Beatrizet+Speculum+Romanae+Magnificentiae&page=1)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers a description and image of the left panel of this composite print: http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/402938?sortBy=Relevance&who=Beatrizet%2c+Nicolas%24Nicolas+Beatrizet&ft=*&offset=60&rpp=20&pos=64  

Condition: crisp impression trimmed slightly unevenly along the platemark. The sheet shows light age-toning and is in good condition (i.e. there are no tears, stains or foxing) with only a few minor losses (see the lower-left corner). There is evidence that the print was once folded as it is a large print, but this issue has been addressed by the engraving having been laid onto a support sheet in what is clearly an old restoration.

I am selling this exceptionally rare and large engraving from 1559 featuring the fabled culture of Amazon women—the first feminists—fighting Roman warriors as published in “Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae” (The Mirror of Roman Magnificence) for AU$362 (currently US$286.36/EUR245.87/GBP220.53 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this left panel of an engraved diptych celebrating the suppression of men by women where legend proposes that the captured men are held as temporary sex slaves until they are later executed, 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

The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers the following insights about the “Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae” (The Mirror of Roman Magnificence) that this print features:

“The Speculum found its origin in the publishing endeavors of Antonio Salamanca and Antonio Lafreri. During their Roman publishing careers, the two foreign publishers - who worked together between 1553 and 1563 - initiated the production of prints recording art works, architecture and city views related to Antique and Modern Rome. The prints could be bought individually by tourists and collectors, but were also purchased in larger groups which were often bound together in an album. In 1573, Lafreri commissioned a title page for this purpose, which is where the title ‘Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae’ first appears. Lafreri envisioned an ideal arrangement of the prints in 7 different categories, but during his lifetime, never appears to have offered one standard, bound set of prints. Instead, clients composed their own selection from the corpus to be bound, or collected a group of prints over time.” (http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/402937)