Nicolas Perelle’s etching, “Helios and Phaeton with Saturn and the Four Seasons”, c1670, after Poussin

Nicolas Perelle (aka Nicolaus Perrelle [as inscribed on plate]) (1631–1695)

“Helios and Phaeton with Saturn and the Four Seasons”, c1670 (1646–1695), reverse composition after the painting of the same title (c1635) in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin (inv. no. 478; see https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nicolas_Poussin_-_Helios_and_Phaeton_with_Saturn_and_the_Four_Seasons.jpg), by Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665), published in Paris by Mariette (fl.17^th–18^thC).

Etching on laid paper trimmed with a small margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 36.2 x 45.6 cm; (plate) 35 x 44.2 cm; (image borderline) 33.2 x 43.1 cm.

Lettered below the image borderline: (left) “Poussin pinxit”; (centre) “Phaeton pour s'eclaircir du doute ou il estoit d'estre Veritablement le fils du Soleil, comme sa Mere l'en auoit asseuré, luy demande en se jettant/ a’ses pieds le gouuernement du grand Chariot qui esclaire le Monde, pour preuue de son affection Paternelle, et quil le reconnoist pour son fils. Ovid. l. 2. fable 1. ([Google transl.] “Phaeton to be cleared of the doubt or he was truly the son of the sun, as his mother had assured him, asks him by throwing himself/ at his feet the government of the great chariot which enshrines the world, for proof of his paternal affection, and that he recognizes him for his son. Ovid. l. 2.fable 1.”); (right) “Nicolaus Perrelle fecit Mariette ex”.

State ii (of ii) with the addition of Mariette as the publisher.

Andresen 388 ii (Andreas Andresen 1863, “Nicolas Poussin: Verzeichniss der nach seinen Gemälden gefertigten gleichzeitigen und späteren Kupferstiche …”, Leipzig, R. Weigel, p. 99, cat. no. 388; see https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_yX5CAQAAIAAJ/page/n105/mode/2up?); Wildenstein 136 ii (Georges Wildenstein 1957, “Les Graveurs de Poussin au XVII Siecle”, Paris, Les Beaux-Arts, cat. no. 136 ii).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Phaethon, after Poussin: Phaethon begging Apollo, who sits on the wheel of the Zodiac, to let him drive the sun's chariot; in the foreground, at left, a sleeping man (Autumn) crowned with ivy; at right, a seated old man (Winter) warming up at a brazier; woman holding flowers (Spring) standing behind Apollo; and woman seated on ears of wheat (Summer) beside Phaethon” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1874-0808-1740 & https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_U-8-26).

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed impression with a small margin around the platemark and laid onto a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. There is minor age-toning and a few handling marks in the margins, otherwise the sheet is in a very good condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this large allegorical etching about not taking advice showing Phaeton’s ill-fated plead to Apollo to allow Phaeton to go for a "drive" in his father’s sun chariot—sadly, Phaeton was such a bad driver that Zeus has to blow up the chariot with a thunderbolt to stop the head-strong Phaeton—for a total cost of AU$330 (currently US$256.21/EUR214.24/GBP184.03 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 classical smorgasbord of mythological figures, 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