Karel Dujardin’s etching, “Frontispiece: The Fountain”, 1652

Karel Dujardin (aka Karel Du Jardin; Carel Dujardin; Carel du Jardin; Bokkebaart) (1626–1678)

“Frontispiece: The Fountain”, (aka “Titelprent met muur en fontein”; “Title Print with Wall and Fountain”), 1652, plate 1 from the series of 8 prints, “Animals” (Dieren), published by Karel Dujardin in Amsterdam (as inscribed on plate).

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

Size: (sheet) 27.4 x 21.1 cm; (plate) 15.2 x 13.7 cm.

Inscribed on plate: (centre on wall): “K.DV. JAR DIN fe/ et. Excud. 1652/. A.D.”; (lower right corner) “1”.

State iv (of iv) with the addition of the plate number (“1”) at lower right corner.

TIB 1.1 (165) (Leonard J Slatkes [ed.] 1978, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists”, vol. 1, New York, Abaris Books, p. 171, cat. no. 1 [165]).; Hollstein Dutch 1-4 (4)

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Frontispiece with fountain, a high wall flanked by foliage from which protrudes a pipe with water flowing into a square pool, water flows from an overflow pipe into a smaller pool in front; fourth state with number” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_Sheepshanks-810).

See also the description of this print at the Rijksmuseum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.38277; https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/414196.  

Condition: a well-printed impression with wide margins laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. There are chipped edges to the sheet and a flattened printer’s crease and to the left margin, otherwise, the sheet is in a good condition with no significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this frontispiece etching to the series of eight prints, “Animals”, for the total cost of AU$262 (currently US$202.51/EUR168.33/GBP146.16 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 curiously minimal and marvellous image that I see as metaphorically “speaking to” the world of farm animals—but without actually showing any! — please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.