Jan Saenredam’s engraving, “Elisha Taking the Cloak of Elijah …”, 1604, after Abraham Bloemaert

Jan Saenredam (c1565–1607)

“Elisha Taking the Cloak of Elijah, who Ascends to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire” (TIB title), 1604, from the series “Prophets Ahias and Elijah” after Abraham Bloemaert (aka Abraham Bloemaart) (1564–1651), published by Jan Saenredam and with Latin verses by Theodorus Schrevelius (1572–1649/53).

Engraving on fine laid paper with "Adler" watermark at the upper edge, trimmed unevenly along the image borderline and slightly within the borderline at top and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 27 x 19.5 cm

Inscribed on plate within the lower image borderline: (right of centre) "A. Bloemaert inuen, / J. Saenredam Sculp, 4"

Lettered on plate below the image borderline in two columns of two lines of Latin text: "Helias, ... tendit".

State ii (of iii) Note that the BM holds a copy with the plate numbered “2” (D,7.89) but no information is given regarding the state number in the references. This impression and the second state impression held by the Rijksmuseum (RP-P-H-M-12) show the plate numbered “4”, consequently I assume that this impression is from the second state as I can see no differences in both impressions, but I do not have information regarding changes to the plate made in the third state to confirm my attribution.

TIB Bartsch 4 (3 [Part 2).23 (227) (Walter L Strauss [ed.) 1980, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists”, vol. 4, p. 332); Bartsch (1803) III.226.23 (Note that this ref. to Bartsch is made by the BM but I believe it may be wrong and the true number is III.227.23) (Bartsch, Adam, “Le Peintre graveur”, 21 vols, Vienna, 1803); Hollstein Dutch 15-2(3) (Hollstein, F W H 1949, “Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts c.1450-1700”, Amsterdam); Roethlisberger 1993 82 (Marcel G Roethlisberger 1993, “Abraham Bloemaert and his Sons: Paintings and Prints”, 2 vols, Ghent)

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Elisha and Elijah's chariot of fire; Elisha kneels and reaches towards the sky towards a chariot ascending to heaven and a cloak that falls to the ground (2 Kings 2:11); after Bloemaert”

(http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1490200&partId=1&searchText=saenredam+&page=1)

See also the description of this print offered by the Rijksmuseum:

(transl.) “The prophet Elisha in the foreground. He kneels and looks in disbelief at Elijah, who is led to heaven in a fiery chariot. Elia's coat falls out of the car[t]. The print has a Latin text in the bottom margin.”

(http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.169235)

Condition: well-inked and near faultless impression in excellent condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, creases, abrasions, stains or foxing) trimmed unevenly around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this exceedingly rare engraving of exceptional quality and elegant beauty for the total cost of AU$434 (currently US$318.67/EUR275.49/GBP244.09 at the time of posting this print) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this major engraving of the highest level of technical brilliance, 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

I guess that I should not have been surprised when I “Googled” the translation of the title of this engraving from a non-English speaking dealer to find that I was looking at “Elias and the fire truck”. Heavens to Betsy! Of course, what is portrayed in this scene is not a fire truck in the sky at all but a heaven-sent chariot ablaze with fire.

For those like me who happily skipped on Bible studies, the following verse from the Old Testament (2 Kings 2:11 [NIV, 1973]) reveals what this engraving illustrates:

“As they [Elisha and Elijah] were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”

To give a brief version of my understanding of the rest of the story, the cloak/mantle shown dropping from the chariot holding Elijah is later picked up by Elisha—the figure on the ground with outstretched hands—and from the cloak he acquires the ability to perform miracles. (I apologise if my account of this event is flawed.)

For those interested in this episode, the scene was later portrayed in woodcuts by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794–1872); see https://commons.marymount.edu/en204fa13/wp-content/uploads/sites/85/2013/08/Chariots.jpg and http://www.marysrosaries.com/collaboration/index.php?title=File:Vision_of_the_Prophet_Ezekiel_-_Bible_Ezechiel.JPG. More famously, William Blake also illustrated his vision of the chariot of fire in the technically fascinating relief etching (with watercolour), “God Judging Adam”, 1795; see http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/blake-god-judging-adam-n05063

Johann Jacob von Sandrart’s etching, “The Fire in the Borgo”, 1682, after Raphael

Johann Jacob von Sandrart (aka Johann Jakob von Sandrart) (1655–1698)

“The Fire in the Borgo”, 1682, published by Joachim von Sandrart (1606–1688) as Plate 0 (as numbered at upper right) to “Academia Nobilissimae Artis Pictoriae”, printed by Christian Frober (aka Christian Froberger) (fl.c.1675–1700) in 1683, in Nuremberg, after a detail of Raphael’s (aka Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino) (1483–1520) design for the fresco of the same name executed in 1514 that is argued to be painted by Raphael’s assistant, Giulio Romano (aka Giulio Pippi) (c1499–1546) in the Stanza dell'Incendio di Borgo, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican.

(Note: I may be wrong, but based on a copy of the publication in which this etching features that was auctioned by Christie’s (30 April 2008, London), I believe that there are 47 plates with 3 double-page illustrations—this print being one of these larger plates as there is a centrefold that is now flattened.)

Etching on heavy laid paper with full margins as published. The print consists of two plates abutted: a plate with the image and a plate with the lettered text below it.

Size: (sheet) 50.3 x 39 cm; (abutted plates) 46.8 x 32.7 cm; (image borderline) 41.1 x 31.6 cm

Numbered on plate above the image borderline: (right corner) “0”.

Inscribed on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Raphael d'Urbino pinxit.”; (right) “Joh. Jac: de Sandrart delineavit et sculpsit Norimb. 1682”

Lettered on plate in five lines of Latin text on a separate abutted plate: “Sereniffimo … / … / … / … / … / … confecratq”; (left of centre) “Sereniffimæ Celfitudinis Veftra”; (right) “cultor demiffiffimus / Ioh. Iacobus a Sandrart.” (My apologies if there are errors in my reading of the letters).

Hollstein 350.II

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“The fire in the Borgo; after Raphael; with various figures fleeing through an archway and over a wall to right in foreground; in left background the burning city …”

(http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1567705&partId=1&searchText=Sandrart&people=110405&page=1)

Condition: an almost faultless—well-inked and well-printed—impression that is in near pristine condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, creases—beyond the now flattened centrefold of publication—abrasions, stains or foxing) for the considerable age of the print. The sheet is backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this large etching of exceptional quality and very rare—note that the Rijksmuseum does not hold a copy—for the total cost of AU$246 (currently US$181.50/EUR156.41/GBP137.96 at the time of posting this print) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this marvellously intriguing image executed by one of the major oldmaster German printmakers of the 17^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

This scene of tumultuous chaos shows fleeing naked Romans with Michelangelesque physiques escaping the AD 847 fire in the Borgo—an area near the Basilica of St Peter in Rome. For sensitive folk that shudder on seeing other folk in distress, you may relax as I can confirm that Pope Leo IV interceded with his faith to extinguish the blaze … but his prayers were sadly ineffective in stopping the old Basillica of St Peter—which may be seen through the gap in the broken wall—from being reduced to rubble (see the Web Gallery of Art for a thorough explanation about the fire and Raphael’s painting: https://www.wga.hu/html_m/r/raphael/4stanze/3borgo/1borgo.html)  

Aegidius Sadeler II’s engraving, “Maarten de Vos”, 1592/3

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

“Maarten de Vos” (TIB title) (aka “Portrait of the painter Maarten de Vos, aged 60”), 1592/3, after Joseph Heintz the elder (aka Joseph Heinz) (1564–1609)

Etching and engraving on laid paper trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 29.4 x 23 cm; (image borderline) 29.1 x 22.7 cm

Lettered on plate within the image borderline: (motto in wreath above portrait) "PVRO ASTV ET LABORE"; (around portrait) "MARTINVS DE VOS BELGA ANTVERPIANVS PICTOR SOLERTISS AETATIS SVÆ LX"; (cartouche below portrait) "AD M. VVLPIVM IN EIVS IMAGINE / Hinc Pictura tibi, hinc cedit Tritonia laurum / Illa manum VVLPI, hæc Suspicit ingenium."; (base of left pilaster) “Jos: Heinz Inuen:”; (lower centre) “Romæ”; (base of right pilaster) “G: Sadler scalpt:”

State i (of iii) (lifetime impression)

Note that TIB advises that the first state does not feature the word, “Romæ”, at lower centre, but the first state impressions catalogued by the BM (O,5.105) and the Rijksmuseum (RP-P-OB-5049) are lettered with the word “Romæ”. The second state impression held by the Rijksmuseum has the publisher’s name (Karel Collaert) inscribed below the place of publication, “Romæ”. TIB advises that the publisher’s name distinguishes the third state. In short, there are discrepancies regarding the different states. 

TIB 72 (Part 2: Supplement) 7201.347 S2 (Isabelle de Ramaix 1998, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Aegidius Sadeler II”, vol. 72, Part 2, Supplement, p. 201–02); Nagler 1835–52, no. 63; Le Blanc, no. 138. Wurzbach, no. 166; Hollstein 1980m vol. 21, 340-1(3); Kösslerova 1988, pp. 45–46 and 79; Edquist, p. 1, no. 1; Limouze 1990, pp. 89–90, 122–23m 164; Muller II 1853 5848 (Frederik Muller 1853, “Beschrijvende catalogus van 7000 Portretten, van Nederlanders”, Amsterdam)

The British Museum offers a description of this print also as a first state impression:

“Portrait of the painter Maarten de Vos, aged 60, half-length turned to right, wearing a fur-trimmed coat; in lettered oval within allegorical frame (with two women holding a motto); first state before publisher's address; after Joseph Heintz Engraving”

(http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3044034&partId=1&searchText=Aegidius+Sadeler&page=3)

See also the Rijksmuseum’s description of this print:

(http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.168063)

Condition: a rare, first state, lifetime impression of museum-quality. The sheet is trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline and has restorations at the tip of the upper left corner and a closed tear at the upper right corner, otherwise the sheet is in superb condition for its considerable age. The sheet is backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this lifetime impression of exceptional quality by one of the most famous of the early Flemish printmakers—and, of course, revealing a portrait of an artist of equivalent historical importance—for the total cost of AU$560 (currently US$414.39/EUR354.80/GBP312 at the time of posting this print) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this major engraving of the highest level of technical brilliance, 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

Aegedius Sadeler’s engravings are remarkable because they can fully engage a viewer’s attention. For instance, in this portrait of the famous Flemish painter and prolific draughtsman, Maarten de Vos (1532–1603), Sadeler creates a reflexive moment for the viewer by portraying De Vos actively looking at the viewer with a sideways stare suggesting a very analytical assessment prompted by his wide eyes, dilated pupils and the subtle quizzical upward turn of his right eyebrow.

For me, however, the unnerving stare skilfully crafted by Sadeler is not all about the sitter’s face. The feeling of unease is supported and defined by the contrast between the objective treatment of the architectural frame, featuring the allegorical figures of Minerva (on the left) and Rhetoric (on the right), rendered with an almost mechanical precision of parallel lines, juxtaposed with the very subjective treatment of the half figure of De Vos rendered in mimetic detail. Essentially, Sadeler sustains a viewer’s interest by abutting two different realities: the graphic space of the frame and the pictorial space occupied by De Vos who arrests our attention with his challenging stare.

Regarding this portrait, Isabelle de Ramaix (1998) in the second supplement to “The Illustrated Bartsch: Aegidius Sadeler II”, vol 72, advises:

“According to Kösslerova [1988], the bust is presumably after a self-portrait by Maarten de Vos in the Landesmuseum, Graz and the frame after a drawing by Joseph Heintz. Limouze [1990], however, considers that Ægidius was inspired by portraits by Enea Vico and assigns the date 1593 to the portrait” (p. 201).

Alexandre Hyacinthe Dunouy’s etching, “Italian Landscape with Women by a Spring”, c1800

Alexandre Hyacinthe Dunouy (1757–1841)

“Italian Landscape with Women by a Spring”, c1800, the final plate in a suite of twelve etchings depicting various Italian landscapes.

Etching on wove paper, trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline and re-margined with a support sheet.

Size: (support sheet) 17 x 21.9 cm; (sheet) 10.1 x 14.8 cm; (image borderline) 9.7 x 14.2 cm

Inscribed on plate below the image borderline: (left) “AD.” (the artist’s monogram); (right) “No. 12.”

See the description of this print offered by the Philadelphia Museum of Art: http://philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/3493.html?mulR=2136273041|23

Condition: faultless early impression (based on the crispness of the lines—compare the strength of this impression with the copy held by the Philadelphia Museum of Art [1985-52-9880]), trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline and re-margined with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in near pristine condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, creases, abrasions, stains or foxing).

I am selling this beautifully composed poetic vision of a classical Italian landscape bathed in light for the total cost of AU$154 (currently US$114.32/EUR98.12/GBP86.25 at the time of posting this print) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this superb example of a classical Italian composition (albeit from the perception of a French artist), 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

What I love about this small etching is that it glows with light—in fact I see the portrayed landscape as sparkling with sunlight. Interestingly, the luminosity of the print does not rely to any great degree on the traditional formula of sunlight falling from the top-front-left with areas of strong tonal contrast giving drama to the scene—although I must admit that the light does illuminate the woodland from the left. Instead, Dunouy uses the abutment of a dark background behind the lit side of the featured subjects and a light background beside the shadow side of the same subject. See for example how the juxtaposition of lights and darks in the background behind the water-carrying figure are played in much the same way that Seurat was later to adopt in his paintings: the principle of contrast between what Paul Klee termed “exotopic” and “endotopic” tones.

Gérard Edelinck’s engraving, “Portrait of the Painter and Printmaker, Hendrick Goltzius”, c1700

Gérard Edelinck (1640–1707)

“Portrait of the Painter and Printmaker, Hendrick Goltzius” (aka “Henricus Goltius Pictor et Sculptor” as lettered on plate), c1700.

Note that the date inscribed on the plate (below the title at lower right), “1617”, is not the execution date of the engraving. Instead, this is the year of Goltzius’ death. The execution date for the print given by both the BM and the Rijksmuseum is the considerable window of time between 1652 and 1707, but I believe that the date may be narrowed down to between 1695 to Edelinck’s death in 1707, because the artist received the title of “Chevalier Romain” (“Eques Romanus”) inscribed on the plate, in 1695. Consequently I propose the circa date of 1700.

Engraving on laid paper trimmed to the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 31.6 x 20.3 cm

Inscribed on plate at lower centre: “henricus Goltius Pictor et Sculptor. / 1617 /  G. Edelinck Eques Romanus Sculpsit.”

State iii (of iii) See the same state shown in the impression held by the BM [1910,0610.138] and the Rijksmuseum [RP-P-BI-7518] but this impression is stronger than those held by these museums suggesting that this is from an early printing even if it is from the same state).

Robert-Dumesnil 216-3(3) (A.P.F. Robert-Dumesnil et [G. Duplessis] 1835–71, “Le peintre-graveur français, ou catalogue raisonné des estampes gravées par les peintres et les dessinateurs de l'école française: ouvrage faisant suite au peintre-graveur de Bartsch”,  Paris, p. 267, cat. no. 216); Muller II 1853 undescribed (Frederik Muller 1853, “Beschrijvende catalogus van 7000 Portretten, van Nederlanders”, Amsterdam); van Someren 1888 undescribed (Jan Frederik van Someren 1888, “Beschriivende catalogus van Gegraveerde Portretten van Nederlanders. Vervolg op Frederik Mullers catalogus van 7000 Portretten van Nederlanders”, 3 vols., Amsterdam, Frederik Muller & Co); Wurzbach 1906-11 216 (Alfred von Wurzbach 1906, “Niederländisches Künstler-Lexikon”, 3 vols, Vienna-Leipzig, Verlag von Halm und Goldmann)

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Portrait of Hendrik Goltzius, half-length, directed to the left, head slightly turned to face the viewer, wearing a cap, holding a picture Engraving”

(http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3495954&partId=1&searchText=Edelinck&page=1)

See also the Rijksmuseum’s description of the print:

(transl.) “Portrait of the painter, printmaker Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617). Pictured half-length, with machined copperplate in hands.”

(http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.107438)

Condition: a rare and near faultless early impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate, trimmed near the image borderline with thread margins and backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The print is in near pristine condition for its considerable age (i.e. there are no tears, holes, creases, abrasions, stains or foxing).

I am selling this richly inked and well-printed, near faultless rare impression of an early engraving portraying the almost legendary printmaker, Hendrick Goltzius, holding his printing plate for the engraving executed in 1596, “St Jerome” (after Jacopo Negretti), for the total cost of AU$239 (currently US$177.95/EUR152.68/GBP134.15 at the time of posting this print) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this historically important masterpiece of engraving showing one of the greatest printmakers of the 17^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

For those who may be unfamiliar with the engravings of Edelinck, the following brief summary of this master engraver of the 17th century extracted from the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.) and cited in Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A9rard_Edelinck) is a fine start:

“Edelinck stands above and apart from his predecessors and contemporaries in that he excelled, not in some one respect, but in all respects, that while one engraver attained excellence in correct form, and another in rendering light and shade, and others in giving color to their prints and the texture of surfaces, he, as supreme master of the burin, possessed and displayed all these separate qualities, in so complete a harmony that the eye is not attracted by any one of them in particular, but rests in the satisfying whole.”

From a personal viewpoint, the way that Edelinck is able to show that Goltzius’ beard is white (or a light grey) is such an amazing feat that I need to doff my hat—not that I wear a hat. What makes this rendering of the beard exceptional is that the beard is convincingly white despite Edelinck rendering every single whisker, even those in the high-lights (as opposed to the more usual practice of only showing individual whiskers in the half-lights and never in full light if a beard is white).

Another signifier that Edelinck is a master of portraiture is the way that the artist uses different shaped highlights on the eyes—a square on the left eye and an oval on the right eye—to draw the attention to Goltzius’ divided way of looking at the viewer. From my personal response when looking at both eyes, the eye on the left (i.e. Goltzius’ right eye) seems to be assessing me analytically while the eye on the right (i.e. Goltzius’ left eye) seems gazing softly in an empathetic way.

Beyond the subtleties of Edelinck’s treatment of this portrait, the stylistic ingredient that makes this portrait shine—literally—is the theatrical play of light and shade contrasts which reveal his leaning to the Northern Mannerist style of the time and the advent of Baroque age.

Timothy Cole’s wood engraving, “Detail from the Baptism of Christ by Andrea Del Verrocchio”, 1885

Timothy Cole (1852–1931)

“Detail from the Baptism of Christ by Andrea Del Verrocchio”, 1885 (date inscribed on plate), artist’s proof wood-engraving after Andrea Del Verrocchio (1435–1488), printed by J C Bauer in 1892 in preparation for a limited edition of 125 proof impressions. This particular impression (acquired from the liquidation of the inventory held by Kennedy Galleries) is a proof taken before (or extra to) those signed by Bauer—one of the best printers of wood engravings in New York at the close of the 19^th century—and features as an illustration for the famous historical account of art by WJ Stillman & Timothy Cole (1909), “Old Italian Masters” (The Century Co, New York), page 140.

Wood engraving on tissue-thin (Japan) paper with letterpress annotations (lower left) and a relief printed diagram of Verrocchio’s painting (lower right), backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 34.3 x 18.2 cm; (plate/imageborderline) 13.1 x 18.2 cm

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower left) “T COLE SC ACC. DI BELLE ARTI FLORENCE SEPT 1885”

Letterpress testimonial text by Bauer in the lower left margin: “This impression, taken by hand on Japan paper, is one of one hundred and twenty-five copies printed by me from the original wood block in the year 1892. / Professional Proof-printer for Wood-engravers."

For an excellent account of the printing of Cole’s wood-engravings by Bauer, see Scott Ponemone’s blog post, “New School Wood Engravers: Forgotton 19th-Century Celebrities”: http://www.scottponemone.com/new-school-wood-engravers-forgotton-19th-century-celebrities/

Condition: very rare, exceptionally well-preserved and well-printed artist’s proof impression with full margins and printed annotations, backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The print is in near pristine condition, but there are several inventory pencil notations.

I am selling this very rare proof impression by one of the most famous of the reproductive wood engravers of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries for the total cost of ... [deleted] including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this small masterpiece of wood engraving, 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 those who may not have appreciated the reason why Cole has chosen to reproduce in line and dots these angel heads—small details from Andrea Del Verrocchio’s grand composition, “Baptism of Christ”—as an illustration for WJ Stillman’s, “Old Italian Masters” (1909), the reason is simple: these very beautifully rendered angels are purportedly not painted by Verrocchio, but rather by his pupil at the time, the great Leonardo da Vinci. The attribution of these heads to the hand of Leonardo, however, is from the account given by Vasari and there have been proposals that Botticelli may have played a role in their execution. Interestingly, this argument is dismissed by Stillman who argues “…the finger-tips, and especially the insertions of the toe- and finger-nails, are done with a delicacy and fidelity never approached by Botticelli …” (p.143). These tiny details can be seen in Cole’s wood-engraving of the right angel’s hands.