Philips Galle's engraving, “Glaucus”, 1586

Philips Galle (aka Philippe Galle; Philippus Gallaeus) (1537–1612)

“Glaucus”, 1586, plate 4 from the series of seventeen plates—note that the BM advises that there are sixteen plates in the series (see the curator’s comment for BM no. 1942,0720.1.35), but this is incorrect based on the TIB catalogue of plates (see 5601.090:1 to 5601:090:17)—“Semideorum Marinorum Amnicorumque Sigillariæ Imagines Perelegantes” (River and Sea Gods) (Hollstein 316-332 [Ph. Galle]), published by Philips Galle in Amsterdam.

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

Size: (sheet) 16.8 x 10 cm

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) "Phls Gall. Inuen/ et Scalp.”); (centre) "GLAVCVS."; (right) "4."

State i (of ii) Note that the attribution of this impression to the first state is based on the text line being the same as the first state impression held by the Rijksmuseum (RP-P-1898-A-19948).

TIB 1987 5601.090:4 (Arno Dolders & Walter Strauss [eds.] 1987, vol. 56, Supplement, p. 346); Hollstein 316-332 (Philips Galle); New Hollstein Dutch 416-1 (2)

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“One of thirty-eight engravings bound in an album which combines various (partial) series by de Passe and others, some after Maarten de Vos, as well as works executed and published by Philips Galle. The present engraving is one of a series of sixteen illustrations of sea and river gods by Galle (Hollstein 316-332 [Ph. Galle]). The nymph Scylla is portrayed at the moment Circe, jealous of Glaucus' love for her, transforms Scylla into a six-headed monster, here shown with canine heads. Later Scylla is transformed into a crop of rocks, as suggested by the rocky shore in the distance.”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3206657&partId=1&searchText=Glaucus&people=124229&page=1)

See also the Rijksmuseum’s description of this print:

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.114825

Condition: crisp and well-printed strong impression with the tip of Glaucus’ penis retouched to remove a previous collector’s spot of red ink, otherwise the sheet is in excellent condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains—beyond the retouched penis tip—or foxing). The sheet has been trimmed with thread margins around the image borderline and has been laid upon a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this visually arresting image of Glaucus, the fisherman, who was made a sea-god, engraved by one of the most famous old master engravers of the sixteen century, for ... [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 marvellous print engraved only a couple of decades after Michelangelo put down his brushes after completing the “Last Judgement” in the Sistine Chapel, 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