Engraving (with etching) by an unidentified artist after Crispijn de Passe the Elder's, “Lady and a gentleman seated in a garden”, c1599–1617

Unidentified artist after Crispijn de Passe the Elder (aka Crispin Van de Passe; Crispin De Passe) (1564–1637)

“Lady and a gentleman seated in a garden”, c1599–1617, illustration composed originally to “Hortus Voluptatum” (Garden of Love) by De Passe (see the copy of De Passe’s print held by the British Museum: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?assetId=126377001&objectId=1560278&partId=1), but this variant copy after De Passe, showing greater regularity in the horizontal lines describing the sky (among other details), is an illustration to “Nieuwen ieucht spieghel” (New Mirror for Youth), published in 1617 (arguably by Jan Jansz.), p. 161 (see http://emblems.let.uu.nl/nj1617033.html).

Engraving with etching on fine laid paper, backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 17 x 21 cm; (plate) 10.7 x 16 cm; (image borderline) 8.9 x 15.3 cm

Lettered on plate below the image borderline in two lines of Latin text in two columns:

"Quid nunc suauiolum? qua spe consedimus ambo?

An placet ad Satyros ire redire meos?

Si placet hac volucri sequar, ô mea sola voluptas,

Venari canibus dulcius ecquid erit?”

Franken 1881 1337 (nr.10.) [copy] (Daniel Franken 1881, “L'oeuvre gravé des van de Passe”, Paris); Hollstein 851 (nr.10.) [copy] (F W H Hollstein 1949, “Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts c.1450-1700”, Amsterdam)

Condition: crisp, well-inked and well-printed impression (undoubtedly a lifetime impression based on the strength of the printed lines and the still visible guidelines for the lettered text) backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in excellent condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, stains or foxing, but there is minor age toning and a few handling marks).

I am selling this small and rare emblem print showing a man holding by leash two hunting dogs and a woman seated beside him holding a falcon with hunting scenes behind the couple appropriate to the animals they hold, for AU$192 in total (currently US$138.78/EUR122.50/GBP109.26 at the time of posting this listing) 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 fascinating engraving from the early 1600s, 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

Before offering an explanation of what is signified by this emblem print I should mention that such prints were not designed to be read as simple illustrations for the subject matter addressed in the text. Instead, they are illustrations layered with symbolism intended to delight the highly educated folk of the time—those in the “know”—in decoding esoteric meanings.

Regarding the illustrations to “Nieuwen ieucht spieghel” (New Mirror for Youth) (1617) in which this print features, the addressed subject matter and projected meanings are tailored to appeal to a youthful audience as exemplified by the subject of this print: love.

From my reading of the image and the Latin verses inscribed beneath it (and I may be completely wrong in my interpretation), the portrayed lovers sitting snugly together are dealing with the question haunting all lovers: how to manage their lives metaphorically smudged together. The chap’s world is all about his two hunting dogs and the hunting of deer as shown in the distance behind him. By contrast, his lady-love’s world is all about the falcon that she holds and the falconry hunting of other birds as shown in the distance behind her. Happily, the lovers’ two different worlds of hunting appear to be resolved with a merging of interests as the distant hunting scene behind the women reveals a male and female couple on the same horse (poor horse!) enjoying the experience of hunting together.