Orazio Borgianni's etching, “The Finding of Moses”, 1615

Orazio Borgianni (aka Orazio Borgiani) (c1578–1616)

“The Finding of Moses” (TIB title) (“Moïse trouvé dans le Nil par la fille de Pharaon” [Bartsch title]), 1615 (inscribed on plate), plate 29 from the series of 52 plates after Raphael, “The Loggia Paintings” (Bartsch title).

Etching on fine laid paper, inscribed with grid lines in faded ink (presumably from an early hand), trimmed with thread margins around the plate-mark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 16.7 x 20.6 cm; (plate) 16.2 x 20.3 cm. (image borderline) 15.7 x 19.6 cm

Inscribed on plate within the image borderline: (lower right corner) “1615 / [artist’s monogram]”

Numbered on plate outside the image borderline: (lower right corner) “29”.

Lifetime impression of the only state (Note: attribution of this print to a lifetime impression is based on the quality of the impression showing minimal wear to the plate and comparison of the crisp strength of the lines to the impression held by the Rijksmuseum [RP-P-OB-35,438].)

TIB 38 (17).29(319) (Walter L Strauss [ed.] 1979, “The Illustrated Bartsch”, vol. 38, p. 388); Bartsch XVII.318.29

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print:
(transl.) “Moses is found in a basket on the river by the daughter of Pharaoh and her maidservants. One of the women pulls the basket towards her.”

(http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.85381) 

See also the description of this print offered by the British Museum:

https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1445413&partId=1&searchText=Orazio+Borgianni+&page=1

Condition: crisp, well-printed impression—arguably a superior impression to that held by the Rijksmuseum—showing minimal wear to the plate. There are traces of faded ink lines ruled in a grid pattern (presumably by an early hand wishing to copy the image). Beyond these marks that are arguably more interesting than disfiguring, the sheet is in excellent condition for its age (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains—there are a few spots—or foxing), trimmed with thread margins and backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this superb etching executed in the last year of the artist’s life and based on the design of the legendary Raphael (1483–1520) who had passed away only 95 years before this print was created, for AU$257 (currently US$182.08/EUR160.97/GBP1401 at the time of 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 rare Renaissance period print that is arguably a finer impression than the copy held by the Rijksmuseum, 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