Philips Galle's engraving, “Monkey Hunt”, 1578

Philips Galle (aka Philippe Galle; Philippus Gallaeus) (1537–1612)

“Monkey Hunt”, 1578, plate 22 from the first edition of 43 plates before the numbering from the series and expanding the number of plates (and engravers) to 104, “Hunting Parties” (aka “Venationes Ferarum, Avium, Piscium” [transl. “With wild beasts, birds, fish”]), after Jan van der Straet (aka Joannes Stradanus; Ioannes Stradanus) (1523–1605), published by Philips Galle (1600–1676) in Antwerp.

Engraving on laid paper trimmed around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet trimmed unevenly) 20.7 x 28.8 cm; (image borderline) 20 x 28.8 cm.

Lettered on plate in Latin below the image borderline: (left of centre) “Sic iaculis astuq[ue] dolo per frondea rura; (right of centre) “Humani capitur simulator Simius oris.”; (right with loss of text) “Johan. Str …[a. inv/ue.]”

Inscribed with indecipherable text hand-written by an old hand in brown ink at lower left corner. (Note that the later edition of this print shows the plate number [“58”] in this location [see BM no. 1957,0413.104]).

State i (of iv) before the plate is numbered and the addition of the later publisher’s name (Philips Galle’s grandson, Joannes Galle).

TIB 5601.104:22 (Walter L Strauss & Arno Dolders [eds.] 1987, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists: Philips Galle”, vol. 56, Supplement, p. 422, cat. no. [5601].104:22); New Hollstein Dutch 540-1 (4) (Manfred Sellink [ed.] 2001, “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: Philips Galle”, Rotterdam, Sound and Vision, pp. 250, 277 [fig.], cat. 540); New Hollstein Dutch 442-1 (3) (Marjolein Leesberg [comp.] 2008, “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: Johannes Stradanus” Amsterdam, Sound and Vision Rijksmuseum, pp. 140, p.161 [fig.], cat. 442); Baroni Vannucci 1997 693.58 (Alessandra Baroni Vannucci 1997, “Jan van der Straet, detto Giovanni Stradano, flandrus pictor et inventor”, Milan, Jandi Sapi Editori); see also, Welmoet Bok-van Kammen 1980, “Stradanus and the Hunt”, Michigan, Ann Arbor, pp. 409-410.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print from the later plate numbered edition:

“Monkey Hunt: [huntsmen] armed with bows and arrows, many on horseback, pursue monkeys, some of which find refuge in the trees.”

(https://research.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1620564&partId=1&searchText=galle+monkeys&page=1)

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description:

(transl.) “Riders and hunters set foot with bow and arrow on monkeys in the trees. In the foreground a monkey mother with two young ones.”

(http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.114985)

Condition: richly inked first state impression (before plate numbering) trimmed slightly unevenly around the image borderline and laid onto a support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. The sheet has restored/replenished chips, tears and losses along the outer edge, otherwise the sheet is in very good condition for its considerable age (i.e. there are no folds, abrasions, stains or foxing).

I am selling this strong engraving—a lifetime impression, executed 37 years after Michelangelo put his brushes down after completing the “Last Judgement” in the Sistine Chapel— for a total cost of AU$316 (currently US$217.36/EUR195.49/GBP163 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 superb early engraving showing monkey hunting in Ethiopia, 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