Crispijn de Passe the Elder (1564–1637)
“Andromede”
(aka “Perseus and Andromeda”), 1602, after Maarten de Vos (aka Marten de Vos; Maerten de
Vos) (1532–1603), plate 44 from the series, “Metamorphoses of Ovid” (aka “Metamorfosen
van Ovidius”), initially published by Crispijn de Passe the Elder in Cologne (1602–1604).
This impression is from the 1621 edition published in Paris by Veuve de Mathieu
Guillemot, Samuel Thiboust and Matthieu Guillemot in “Les Metamorphoses d'Ouide:
de nouueau traduites en françois, et enrichies de figures chacune selon son
subiet: avec XV discours, contenans l'explication morale des fables”, p. 118, with
reduction to the size of the printing plate and removal of the Latin distychs—but
note that there are still remnants of the tops of letters from the original
text still visible.
This publication may be viewed
online or downloaded free-of-charge from archive.org:
https://archive.org/details/gri_33125010793624/page/n135/mode/2up.
Engraving on laid paper with
letterpress text verso, trimmed around the borderline surrounding the platemark and
backed with a support sheet.
Size: (sheet) 9.6 x 15.1 cm;
(platemark) 7.6 x 13.1 cm.
Letterpress text above the
platemark: (centre) “ANDROMEDE.”
Inscribed on plate: (upper-left
corner) “CVP” (monogram of Crispijn de Passe); (lower-left corner) “Martin de Voss
inuentor”; (lower right) “Crispin de Passe fecit”.
Lifetime impression published in the 1621 edition (based on the quality of the line showing very
little wear to the plate and comparison to the slightly worn impression from
the same edition held by the Gettly Museum (see link to archive.org).
Hollstein (de Passe) 852 (Karel Gerard Boon 1964, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts ca. 1450–1700: Van Ostade–De Passe”, vol. 15, Amsterdam, Menno Hertzberger en Co, p. 287, cat. no. 852) ; Hollstein (Vos) 1571 (Christiaan Schuckman [comp.] 1996, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts ca. 1450–1700: Maarten de Vos: text”, vol. 44, Rotterdam, Sound and Vision Rijksprentenkabinet, pp. 307–308, cat. no. 1571).
The Rijksmuseum offers the
following description of this print:
“Andromeda, the daughter of an
Ethiopian king, is chained to a rock. In the background, Perseus defeats the
sea monster in order to come and rescue Andromeda”
(http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.322390).
Condition: richly inked and
well-printed impression trimmed slightly unevenly around the letterpress border
and title with letterpress text verso and laid onto a support of archival
(millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in excellent condition with no
tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains, foxing.
I am selling this small but visually
arresting engraving full of theatrical drama and shimmering light exemplifying
the period style of Mannerism, for AU$273 (currently US$200.11/EUR168.15/GBP155.40
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 little gem of engraving from the beginning of the 1600s, 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
