Claude Mellan's engraving, “Jacob Draws Water for Rachel's Animals”, c1640, after Paolo Veronese

Claude Mellan (1598–1688)

“Jacob Draws Water for Rachel's Animals” (aka “Jacob abreuve le troupeau de Rachel”), c1636–1645, after Paolo Veronese (aka Paolo Caliari) (1528–1588), published by Pierre Mariette (1596–1657) and wrongly inscribed on plate as being after Jacopo Tintoretto (aka Jacopo Robusti) (1519–1594) (see Terisio Pignatti 1995, “Veronese: l'opera completa', Milan, Mondadori Electa, p. 161, no. 309).

Engraving on laid paper, trimmed along the image borderline (with loss of publication details below the image borderline) and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 38.2 x 43.4 cm.

Inscribed on plate on the side of a water trough at lower left: "Cum priuilegio”; “Iacobus / Tinctoretus / pinxit / Cl. Mellan Gall. / sculp."

IFF 2 (Inventaire du Fonds Français: Bibliothèque Nationale, Département des Estampes, Paris, 1930); Montaiglon 1856 3 (Anatole de Montaiglon 1856. “Catalogue raisonne de l'oeuvre de Claude Mellan d'Abbeville” Abbeville, P Briex, pp. 79–80 256; this publication is available online at archive.org and may be downloaded free of charge: https://archive.org/details/catalogueraisonn00mont_0/page/78).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Jacob drawing water from the well to water Rachel's flock. c.1636/45”

https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1349093&partId=1&searchText=mellan&page=6 and

https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1347151&partId=1&searchText=1865,0408.69&page=1

See also the descriptions of the two copies of this print at the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/334443 and https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/395175?&searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&ft=Claude+Mellan&offset=160&rpp=80&pos=1899

For those wondering about the figures in this scene, I was surprised when reading Anatole de Montaiglon’s (1856) catalogue raisonné description of this print (p. 79) that Rachel is seated at right on the edge of the well holding the halter of a camel—my surprise was that I assumed that the lady with the plunging neckline on the left would have been Rachel—while a servant of Abraham draws water from the well in a bucket. Rachael’s servant is shown at left washing her foot on a water trough for the sheep being directed—somewhat AGGRESSIVELY!—by a shepherd behind her.

Condition: richly inked and near faultless impression, trimmed with narrow margin around the image borderline (with loss to the lettered text below the image), laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. There is a restored (closed) tear at the upper edge of the sheet otherwise the sheet is in excellent condition (i.e. there are no holes, abrasions, stains or foxing).

I am selling this superb impression of a very rare (and large) engraving by the artist famous for his technical masterpiece of engraving inscribed with a single spiralling line, “Sudarium of Saint Veronica” (aka “Veil of St Veronica”), for the total cost of AU$526 (currently US$353.52/EUR322.27/GBP292.75 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 sublimely beautiful engraving—a true masterwork of printmaking—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