Paulus Pontius' engraving, “Emanuel Frockas”, 1630–1640, after Anthony van Dyck

Paulus Pontius (aka Paulus du Pont) (1603–1658)

“Emanuel Frockas” (aka “Portrait of Emanuel Frockas, Duke of Ferra”; “Emanuel Frockas Perera et Pimentel comes Feria”), 1630–1640, after Anthony van Dyck (aka Anton van Dyck; Anthony van Dijck; Anthoni van Dijck; Antoon van Dijk) (1599–1641) from the series, “Icones Principum Virorum” (aka “Iconographie ou vies des hommes illustres du XVII. siècle ... les portraits peints par le fameux Antoine Van Dyck”),  first published by Maarten van den Enden (1605–1673) in Antwerp. This is an impression from the final state published either in Antwerp in the Hendrik Verdussen (1653-1721) and Cornelis Verdussen (1661-1728) edition of 1720, or in 1759 by Arkstée & Merkus (fl.1750–1759) in Amsterdam and Leipzig (see BM no. 1935,1213.1.24).

The Curator of the British Museum advises:

“The copper-plate is kept in the Chalcographie, Musée du Louvre, inv.no.2392.

The portrait is based on Van Dyck's grisaille, now kept in the collection of the Duke of Buccleuch, Boughton House, Northamptonshire, see S. Barnes, N. de Poorter, O. Millar and H. Vey, 'Van Dyck: A Complete Catalogue of the Paintings', Yale & London, 2004, cat.no.III.151. See also a drawing in chalk of the sitter's head and hints of the upper body in civilian dress, now in the collection of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, Chatsworth House (Vey 261).” (BM no. 1848,1125.175)

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

Size: (sheet) 37.3 x 24.8 cm; (plate) 24.5 x 16.8 cm; (image borderline) 22 x 16.4 cm.

Lettered below the image borderline: (left corner) “P. Pontius Sulp.”; (left of centre) “Ant. Van Dyck pinxit”; (centre in five lines of Latin) “NOBILISSIMVS VIR AC D. EMANVEL FROCKAS PERERA / ... /... / …/ CVBICVLARIVS ETC”; (right) “Cum priuilegio”.

State viii (of viii) with initials of publisher Gillis Hendricx. “G. H.”, burnished.

New Hollstein (Dutch & Flemish) 20.VIII (Van Dyck vol I); Hollstein 77.VII (Pontius)

The British Museum offers the following description of this print (in state v):

“Portrait of Emanuel Frockas, Count of Feria, half-length in front of a swagged curtain to the left, a cloudy sky to the right, directed to right and wearing armour, holding a baton in his left hand”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1424967&partId=1&searchText=pontius+feria&page=1)

Condition: near faultless impression with generous margins (as published?) in excellent condition backed with a conservator’s support sheet of fine archival/millennium quality washi paper. There is a collector’s ink stamp (verso).

I am selling this superb engraving in museum-quality condition, this is a part of one of the greatest—or at least the most historically significant—series of portraits ever created, for the total cost of AU$240 (currently US$168.04/EUR148.18/GBP131.96) 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 exceptionally fine portrait, showcasing how different treatments of line can differentiate the surface attributes of shiny metal amour from a softly draped curtain and the delicate translucence of Count of Feria’s skin, 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

For those wondering about the significance of the armour and the baton held by Emanuel Frockas, Carl Depauw (1999) in “Anthony van Dyck as Printmaker” advises that portraits in the series (Icones Principum Virorum) of sitters who are in the category of “princes, politicians and soldiers”—sixteen in total—“are almost all depicted wearing armour and equipped with a baton” (p. 75).