Marcantonio Bellavia's etching, “St. Francis Praying Before a Cross”, 1680

Marcantonio Bellavia (fl.1668–1670)

“St. Francis Praying Before a Cross” (St. François priant à genoux devant un croix), 1660–1680, plate 18, after Annibale Carracci (1560–1609) (as inscribed on plate with the note “IN[vent]”. (Note: The British Museum advises: “His plates are all from his own designs, although later publishers added the name of the Carracci to many of them.” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database/term_details.aspx?bioId=132754)

Etching on laid paper trimmed close to the plate-mark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 9.1 x 11.5 cm; (plate) 8.8 x 11.2 cm.

Numbered on plate at lower left: “XVIII”.

Inscribed on plate at lower right: “A.C. IN.”

State ii (of ii) with the addition of the plate number.

TIB 41(20). 36(16) (Palao Bellini & Mark Carter Leach [eds.] 1983, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Masters of the Seventeenth Century”, vol. 41, New York, Abaris Books, p. 42, cat. no. 36); Bartsch XX.16.36.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“St Francis praying before a crucifix formed of the branch of a tree”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1444002&partId=1&searchText=Bellavia&page=1)

The Museum of Fine Art in Budapest in describing this print makes the comment that “The inscription is different from the one reproduced in TIB” (see http://printsanddrawings.hu/search/prints/8969/). This discrepancy is easily explained as the TIB reproduces the first state impression held by the BM (U,1.164) before the addition in the plate’s second state of the plate number (“XVIII”) and the designer of the composition (“A.C. IN.” [Annibale Carracci Invent.]).

Condition: excellent impression trimmed with narrow margins around the plate-mark and laid on a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in very good condition for its considerable age (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing).

I am selling this small but visually arresting etching from the late 1600s for the total cost of AU$306 (currently US$214.17/EUR189.69/GBP170.11 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 intimate image of St Francis—note how the portrayal of the saint in prayer captures his passionate communion by the slight tilt of his head, 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