Aegidius Sadeler II’s etching, “Landscape with a man crossing a bridge”, c1600

Aegidius Sadeler II (aka Gillis Sadeler; Egidius Sadeler; Ægedius Sadeler) (c1570–1629)

“Landscape with a man crossing a bridge” (TIB title), 1586–1629, published in the first state by Jacobus Lutma (1624? - 1654), published in the second state by Abraham Lutma (fl. 1650), published in the third state with this impression by Nicolaes Visscher I (1618-1679).

Etching on fine laid paper trimmed close to the image borderline and lined with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet, including the support-sheet cradle) 31 x 35 cm; (sheet, unevenly trimmed) 12.7 x 18.2 cm; (image borderline) 12.3 x 18.1 cm

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Egidies Sadeler fecit”; (centre) “Vißcher excudit”

State iii (of iii)

TIB 1997 7201.212 S3 (Isabelle de Ramaix, “The Illustrated Bartsch”, vol. 72, Part 2, Supplement, p. 3); Hollstein 1980 42.202 (F W H Hollstein 1954–2010, Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts”. vols. 1–64, Amsterdam, cat. no. XXI.42.202); Limouze 1990, pp. 108, 197 (Dorothy A Limouze “Aegidius Sadeler [c. 1570–1629]: Drawings, Prints and the Development of an Art Theoretical Attitude,” in Prag um 1600: Beiträge zur Kunst und Kultur am Hofe Rudolfs II, Freren, pp. 183–92).

See also the (brief) description of the first state of this print offered by the Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/717288

Condition: a superb, crisp and well-printed impression trimmed close to the image borderline. The sheet has been re-margined with an archival support sheet.

I am selling this early etching executed by one of the most famous of the old masters for AU$312 (currently US$247.99/EUR202.68/GBP180.28 at the time of this listing). Postage for this print is extra and will be the actual/true cost.

If you are interested in acquiring this very beautiful print exemplifying the romantic notion of landscape in the late 16^th century, 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

Aegidius Sadeler’s landscapes are understandable highly sought after and the reason is fairly clear with this print: they offer a romantic vision of landscape seemingly designed to refresh the soul. Not only do they feature water, rock and lush greenery—albeit with a palette of greens that the viewer’s brain must “fill in”—but they also show folk engaged in going places: usually Sadeler’s prints have at least two figures travelling in opposing directions.

Sadly, the genius behind these landscapes is not always easy to identify. Of course, in the case of this print, there should be a no doubt that the artist MUST be Aegidius Sadeler; after all, his name is inscribed on the plate. If only the attribution of prints were as simple as believing what is written. Shamefully, artists do not always tell the full truth. Indeed, I was reading Isabelle de Ramaix’s second volume of commentary on Aegidius Sadeler in “The Illustrated Bartsch” catalogue raisonné and discovered that this print may be modelled on drawings by Isaac Major (an artist discussed in earlier post). To be honest I won’t be surprised if future research also points a crooked finger towards the compositions of Pieter Stevens II as this was another artist that Aegidius Sadeler copied.