Antonio Tempesta (1555?–1630)
“Civilis Floods the Land by Defensively
Breaking the Dikes” (TIB’s title) (aka “Civilis leaves the country under water”
[Rijkesmuseum’s transl. title]), 1611, possibly after Otto van Veen (1556–1629)
(according to the Rijksmuseum [see RP-P-OB-37,681]), plate 29 from the series
of 37 plates (including the frontispiece/titlepage), “The War of the Romans
against the Batavians” (Romanorvm et Batavorvm societas), published in the
first edition without Latin text verso in 1612 in Antwerp.
Etching on laid paper trimmed along the
platemark (or close to the image borderline) and backed with a support sheet.
Size: (sheet) 16.9 x 21.4 cm; (image
borderline) 14.7 x 20.9 cm.
Monogrammed on plate at lower left
corner: “AT” (in ligature).
Lettered on plate below the image
borderline: (in four lines of Dutch text at left): “Civilis maeckt hem sterck
by het Oudt legher, ende maeckt eenen / dyck, die den Ryn over t'landt doet
loopen daer Cerialis lagh / men vecht in’t verdroncken landł, daer de Duytschen
lanck van / persoon synde, ende den grondt kennende, de Romeynen doen wycken.”;
(center within a circle) “29”; (in four lines of Latin text at right) “Civilis reparato per Germaniam exercitu apud Vetera con: / sedit, molem
Rheno iniecit, ut aqua circumquaque stagnaret, / et Romani nandi ignari in aquis
pugnarent. Germani / aquis exstantes et vadi gnari Romanos in fiugam pellunt.”
State i (of ii) Note: TIB lists this
impression without Latin text verso as “SI I2” and the impressions with the text verso as “SI
I1”. In the second state the plate is “heavily retouched” and with “PLANCHE XXIX.
/ BATAILLE DU PREMIER JOUR.” (among other changes). There is also a copy in the
same direction executed by Joseph Mulder and inscribed, “I. Mulder fecit." (see http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.collect.156913)
TIB 35. 525 S1 12 (Eckhard Leuschner 2007,
“The Illustrated Bartsch: Antonio Tempesta, vol. 35. Commentary, Part 2, New
York, Abaris Books, p. 145); Bartsch 588 i/ii (Adam von Bartsch 1803, “Le
Peintre graveur,” Vienna); FMH 65-b (29) (Frederik Muller 1863–82, “The Dutch
history in plates: reasoned description of Dutch history records …”, [4 vols],
Amsterdam, dl. I [years 100 to 1702], p. 8, No. 65b [29]); Nagler
XVIII.179.560-.595 (G K Nagler 1835–52, “Neus allgemeines Künstler-Lexicon” [22
vols.]).
The Rijksmuseum offers a description of
this print:
See also the description at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art:
Condition: superb lifetime impression
from the first state that is richly inked, crisp and well-printed without Latin
letterpress text verso. The sheet is in excellent condition (i.e. there are no
tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains or foxing), trimmed along the platemark
(or close to the image borderline) and backed with a support sheet of archival
(millennium quality) washi paper.
I am selling this superb first state/lifetime etching for the total cost of AU$207 (currently
US$149.64/EUR129.71/GBP1116.73 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
graphically strong image full of swirling action, but without the extreme use
of distortions typifying the earlier period style of Mannerism, and executed
when Rembrandt was only a five-year-old boy, 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
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