Gustave Greux's etching, “Porte en Bronze de la Sacriste”, 1880/81, after Jacopo Sansovino

Gustave Greux (aka Marie Gustave Greux) (1838–1919)

“Porte en Bronze de la Sacriste”, 1880/81, after the bronze door to the sacristy in the Basilica of San Marco (Venice), sculpted by Jacopo Sansovino (aka Jacopo Tatti) (1486–1570). This is either a proof impression before lettering with publication details for “L’Art” and printing by François Liénard (fl.c.1860s–1880s) or an impression with the publication details erased. Note: there is a minute trace of lettering above the image borderline, but there is no trace of the publication or the printer’s name below the image borderline.

Etching on ivory coloured laid paper backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 39.8 x 27.9 cm; (plate) 32.9 x 19.6 cm; (image borderline) 28.9 x 15.5 cm.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Sansovino, sc”; (centre) “PORTE EN BRONZE DE LA SACRISTE”; (right) “Greux, aquaf”.

Proof without the publication details for “L’Art” (viz. below the image borderline at left, “L'Art” and at right, “F.s Liénard Imp. Paris”, and above the image borderline, “Basilique de Saint Marc à Venice”).

IFF 20? (Département des Estampes 1930, “Inventaire du Fonds, Français: graveurs du XVIIe siècle”, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print in its published state:

“The bronze relief executed by Jacopo Sansovino for the sacristy door in the basilica of San Marco, Venice; with two large scenes showing the Entombment and the Resurrection, surrounded by smaller reliefs representings Evangelists in niches, reclining prophets, putti and bust portraits; published in 'L'Art'”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=3369938&partId=1)

Condition: richly inked and faultless impression with generous margins. There is a small (5 mm) closed tear in the lower margin otherwise the sheet is in a near pristine condition (i.e. there are no holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of use) and laid on a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this masterpiece of nineteenth century etching—so finely executed that it resembles a photograph—for the total price of AU$186 (currently US$128.71/EUR114.95/GBP101.62 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 incredibly fine rendering of Sansovino’s famous bronze door, 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