Stefano Mulinari’s etching with sulphur tint, “Processional Scene with Horses,” 1782, after Polidoro da Caravaggio

Stefano Mulinari (c1741–c1790)

“Processional Scene with Horses” (descriptive title only), 1782, plate 1 from the series of 100 plates, “Scuola Italiana o sia Nuova Raccolta di Stampe a Forma di Disegni ...” (The Italian School or a New Collection of Prints after Drawings ...), after Polidoro da Caravaggio (aka Polidoro Caldara; Polidoro da Caravagio), published by Venanzio Monaldini (fl.1765–1819) in Rome.

Etching and sulphur tint, printed in brown ink on laid paper, trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline and text lines.

Note: the sulphur tint process is a precursor to aquatint. The technique may involve mixing sulphur into a paste with vegetable oil and smearing it over the selected areas of the plate and allowing the sulphur to corrode the plate with fine pitting or simply sprinkling the sulphur onto the plate and heating it. Unlike aquatint, the sulphur tint process does not allow for variation of tone or dark tones.

Size: (sheet) 28 x 40.9 cm; (outer image borderline) 23 x 40.3 cm.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Polidoro da Caravaggio inv: e del:”; (centre) “A Sua Altezza Reale […] Vescovato di Munster ec. ec.” (a dedication to the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne and the Bishop of Münster, Maximilian Friedrich, [1708–1784]); (right) “SMulinari incis: 1782.”

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Plate 1: processional scene after Polidoro da Caravaggio, men and women, some on horseback, moving to the right, a man embracing a young boy at left. 1782 Etching with sulphur tone printed in brown”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1936-1010-39-2).

Condition: an early richly inked impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate, trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline. The sheet has a few worm holes otherwise it is in a very good condition for its age with no tears, abrasions or significant stains.

I am selling this strong impression glowing with the raw sienna colour of the printing ink and velvety texturing created by the early etching technique termed “sulphur tint”—a process predating aquatint where sulphur is used as the mordant to corrode the copper printing plate to form copper sulphide and fine pitting to the plate—for the total cost of AU$253 (currently US$181.18/EUR153.70/GBP138.76 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) 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 beautifully executed frieze, 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