Circle of Francesco Villamena’s engraving, “Presentation of Christ in the Temple”, c1597, after Paolo Veronese

Unidentified engraver from the circle of Francesco Villamena (c1565-1624)

“Presentation of Christ in the Temple”, in or after 1597, in reverse after the engraving of the same composition dated on plate, 1597, by Francesco Villamena (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_W-9-67), published by Jean Leblond I (aka Jean Le Blond) (c1590/1594–1666), after Paolo Veronese’s (aka Paolo Caliari) (1528–1588) design for the painted organ wings in San Sebastiano, Venice.

Interestingly, a copy of this rare print was found in 2001 in the secret drawers of the mineral bulletin boards owned by the Lombardi Cultural Heritage Foundation and is inscribed by pen that the print was started by Agostino Carracci and finished by Villamena, but the Foundation advises that “No bibliographic references were found to confirm or correct this statement” (http://www.lombardiabeniculturali.it/stampe/schede/3y010-02103/).

Engraving on laid paper trimmed slightly unevenly close to the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 36 x 44.6 cm; (outer image borderline) 33.2 x 43.9 cm.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “le Blond excud.”; (centre) “QVOD OPVS DE CHRISTO IESV IN TEMPLO OBLATO PAVLVS VERONENSIS PICTOR EXIMIVS PENICILLO EXPRESSIT.”

See Dorothee Kühn-Hattenhauer’s (1979) “Das grafische Oeuvre des Francesco Villamena”, Berlin, pp. 207–208 and Charles Leblanc’s (1854) “Manuel de l'amateur d'estampes, contenant un dictionnaire des graveurs de toutes les nations: ouvrage destiné à faire suite au Manuel du libraire par J.Ch. Brunet”, Paris, vol. 4, p. 124, cat. no. 15.

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print:

(Transl.) “Mary is kneeling with the Christ child in her arms. Next to her the high priest Simeon. On the right a woman with a cage with pigeons. One line of Latin text in the bottom margin”

(https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/collectie/RP-P-OB-38.406).  

Condition: strong impression trimmed slightly unevenly close to the platemark with a few restored tears and replenished small losses to the edges and thin areas verso (visible only when the print is held to the light); otherwise the sheet is in a clean condition with no significant stains or foxing and is laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this large engraving in reverse after Veronese’s painting for the total cost of AU$282 (currently US$205.46/EUR173.58/GBP159.22 at the time of posting this print) 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 finely crafted engraved translation of Veronese’s composition, 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