Circle of Arnold van Westerhout’s etching, “The Transfiguration”, c1690, after Raphael

Unidentified engraver from the circle of Arnold van Westerhout (1651–1725)

Regarding this attribution, note that Carlo Abruzzi (1837) in “Catalogue raisonné des estampes du cabinet de feu m. le comte Léopold Cicognara …”, advises that there are almost twenty translations of Raphael’s famous painting into prints citing “an anonymous student of Raimondi, carrying the address of Salamanca and the date MDXXXVIII, until that of Raphaël Morghen in 1808” (p. 344). My attribution of this print to the circle of Van Westerhout is partly because the dealer from whom I originally purchased this print proposed van Westerhout as the possible etcher and also because Abruzzi offers this artist’s name. Sadly, I do not believe that Van Westerhout is the etcher of this print because his technique is a little cruder than what is exhibited here, nevertheless, the connection is still relevant as may be seen when comparing the  rendering style and the framing borderline employed by Arnold van Westerhout in the etching, “St Paul Preaching” (1680–1704): https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1949-1008-161.

“The Transfiguration”, c1690, after the intermediary drawing by Giovanni Battista Lenardi (1656–1704), after Raphael’s (1483–1520) final painting (1516–20) in the Pinacoteca Vaticana, Vatican City.

Etching and engraving on laid paper, trimmed along the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet/outer image borderline) 48.1 x 31.2 cm.

Lettered on plate along the lower borderline frame: (left) “Rafaele d’Vrbino In. e depinse.”; (right) “Gio. Batta Lenar di desegno”.

Condition: well-printed impression with no sign of wear to the printing plate, trimmed along the image borderline and laid onto a support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. There are replenished losses to the edges (see the restored lower left corner and a few nicks to the edges of the borderline otherwise the sheet is in a good condition for its considerable age (i.e. there are no significant stains or foxing).

I am selling this large and strong translation of Raphael’s famous painting into an etching (with engraving) for AU$354 (currently US$246.09/EUR217.67/GBP195.06 at the time of posting this print) 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 strong etching after Raphael’s composition, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.