Lucas Vorsterman II’s etching, “Porta Suda Paleo in Candia” (the second version), c1665

Lucas Vorsterman II (1624– fl.1666)

Note: this print is VERY similar to the one shown in the previous post but close examination reveals distinct differences. In short, this impression is from a different plate.

“Porta Suda Paleo in Candia” (second version), c1665, after the design by Jan Peeters I (aka Johannes Peters) (1624–c1677), from the series of ten plates featuring Mediterranean islands, “Insula di Candia del Mare Mediteranea”, published by Jan Peeters I. This is a first state impression before lettering with the publication details.

Note: The BM advises that the publisher was the same as the designer of the composition (Jan Peeters I). This information may be incorrect and the publisher may be Jacobus Peeters (1637–95) instead who published the series in the third edition.

Etching on laid paper lined onto a support sheet of fine washi paper.

Size: (sheet) 19.5 x 29.1 cm; (plate) 11.5 x 27.7; (image borderline) 10.5 x 26.8 cm

Inscribed within the image borderline: (above the third mountain from the left) “Canca”; (right of centre) “Suda”.

Monogrammed within the image borderline at lower right corner: “VL”.

Lettered below the image borderline: (left) “Ioannes Peeters delineavit"; (centre) “Porta Suda Paleo in Candia.”; (right) "Lucas Vorstermans fecit."

State i (of iii?) My attribution of this print to the first state is based on the lettered details that match the first state impression held by the BM (no. F,1.121). I assume that as the previous print that I have listed was from the same series and it had three states that this print also has three states commensurate with the lettering of the different publishers.

Hollstein 44-53 (under Conrad Lauwers) (F W H Hollstein 1949, “Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts c.1450-1700”, Amsterdam); Hollstein 56.I

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“View of the harbour of Souda; battle scene with soldiers in a fort in left foreground firing cannons at the fleet of ships advancing rightwards, the Souda island in centre middleground, a row of ships seen at left, mountainous landscape in the background. c.1665” (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3086844&partId=1&people=103947&peoA=103947-2-60&page=1)

Condition: richly inked and crisp impression in near pristine condition (but there is a tear in the margin on the left). The sheet has generous margins (possibly as published) and has been laid onto a conservator’s support sheet. There is a collector’s ink stamp at the lower right corner.

I am selling this spectacularly fine, pre-publication, lifetime impression of Vorsterman II’s etching from the mid-1600s of a battle scene in Crete for the total cost of AU$179 (currently US$140.91/EUR119.28/GBP106.18 at the time of this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this marvellously detailed depiction of the naval battle in the harbour of Heraklion (Crete), 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

In the previous discussion I mentioned that I thought (but wasn’t certain) that I had another version of Vorsterman’s naval battle at the port of Heraklion in Crete in the 17^th century, well I did as can be seen here. Both prints are surprisingly similar but they are not prints from different states of the same printing plate. Close examination shows that they are offer different angles of view of the harbour and the features of the battle portrayed.