Wenceslaus Hollar’s etching, “Five Putti and a Satyr”, c.1647, after Peeter van Avont

Wenceslaus Hollar (aka Wenzel Hollar; Václav Hollar) (1607–1677)

“Five Putti and a Satyr” (aka “Five Boys and a Satyr” [Pennington title]), c.1647 (1625–77), from the series of eight plates, “Putti and Satyrs” (aka “Paedopaegnion”) after Peeter van Avont (aka Pieter van Avont) (1600–1652), lifetime impression before numbering, published in Antwerp.

Etching (with a few lines of engraving) on laid paper with full margins and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 18.4 x 26.5 cm; (platemark) 12.8 x 21 cm.

Inscribed on plate: (lower left) “Peter van Avont inu: W. Hollar fecit”

Lifetime impression, state i (of ii) before numbering (“5”).

Pennington 515 (Richard Pennington 1982, “A Descriptive Catalogue of the Etched Work of Wenceslaus Hollar 1607–1677”, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, p. 79, cat. no. 516); New Hollstein (Hollar, Part III) 853 I/II.

Pennington (1982) offers the following description of this print:

“The young satyr sits r.[ight] with two boys standing behind. On l.[eft] a boy with a bunch of grapes falls backwards to the ground. A few burin strokes on l.[eft] thigh of second boy from r.[ight]” (p. 79).

Condition: a slightly over-wiped impression with a few dot stains and surface marks in otherwise excellent condition (i.e. there are no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions or significant stains). The sheet has been laid upon a support of archival (millennium quality) wash paper.

I am selling this lifetime impression of the utmost rarity—note that this very beautiful etching is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Inv. 2005.97.3), but I have been unsuccessful in finding a copy of it in either the Rijksmuseum or the British Museum—for AU$423 (currently US$272.83/EUR251.52/GBP219.44 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 etching—a magnificent lifetime impression before numbering—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