Etching from the circle of Laurent de la Hyre, “Rest on the flight into Egypt”, c1640

Circle of Laurent de la Hyre (aka Laurent de Lahyre; Laurent de La Hire; Laurent de Lahire; Laurent de Hire) (1606–1656); (attrib.) François Chauveau (1613–1676)

(Note that François Chauveau studied under Laurent de la Hyre; see the etching by Chaveau after his master held by the British Museum [1869,0410.1172])

“Rest on the flight into Egypt”, c1640, lifetime proof before the addition of publication details.

Etching and engraving on thick laid paper with margins around the platemark, unsigned.

Size: (sheet) 16.6 x 25.5 cm; (plate) 14.7 x 23.5 cm

Condition: richly-inked and well-printed impression with margins (approx. 1 cm) in excellent condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains or foxing with very light signs of handling).

I am selling this emotionally charged and very strong image of the Holy Family with St John and lamb in Egypt with a pyramid and obelisk in the distance, for the total cost of AU$238 (currently US$176.93/EUR150.46/GBP133.14 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 exceptionally rare old-master print, 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

Although I may be wrong in my attribution of this etching to the hand of François Chauveau, there are many stylistic attributes linking Chauveau’s prints to this etching. Note for example, the use of emphatic (strong and confident) lines and use of fine lines to connote distance—compare the treatment of this print with Chauveau’s etching portraying the “Virgin seated at the foot of a tree, with the infants Christ and Baptist” (http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1637023&partId=1&searchText=Fran%u00e7ois+Chauveau+&page=1). Even more persuasive for me, is the use of raking theatrical lighting (chiaroscuro) that is characteristic of the Caravaggesque leaning of both Chauveau and his master, Laurent de La Hyre.

There are, of course, other artists from the same circle of artists influenced by Laurent de La Hyre. For example, Claude Charpignon (aka Claude Cherpignon) (fl.c.1637–1643) copied one of Laurent de la Hyre’s compositions portraying the Holy Family’s rest on the flight into Egypt (see http://collectie.boijmans.nl/nl/object/151703/Rust-op-de-vlucht-naar-Egypte/Claude-Charpignon). To my eyes, however, Charpignon’s etching (with engraving) is rendered in a much more regulated way with a tightly controlled use of contour cross-hatching. By contrast, Chauveau’s approach is more painterly (i.e. looser in the application of line). Moreover, like Chauveau, the artist who executed this print is less stylistically consistent to a single approach to rendering as the treatment of the scene draws attention to the critical details of the Virgin, the Christ Child and St John, while lightly camouflaging the less important details, such as Joseph behind the Virgin.