Doris Raab’s engraving, “The Christ with the Four Evangelists”, 1851, after Fra Bartolommeo

Doris Raab (1851–1899)—a fascinating female German engraver (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Raab)

“The Christ with the Four Evangelists” (aka “The Resurrection of Our Lord” [published title]; “Salvator Mundi”), 1851, after the painting in the collection of the Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence, executed in 1516 by Fra Bartolommeo (aka Fra Bartolomeo; Bartolommeo di Pagholo; Bartolommeo di S. Marco; Baccio della Porta) (1472–1517). This impression is from an earlier unlettered edition with a tissue-guard protective cover, but I understand that the later lettered state (c1861/66? [based on the printer and publishers’ active dates]) was published in Stuttgart by J Engelhorn (fl.1861–) and printed by Friedrich Felsing (fl.1866–), presumably in Munich as this is where Felsing was active as a printer (see https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/0100214948).  

Engraving printed in sepia coloured ink on buff-coloured chine collé on heavy wove paper with wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 43.3 x 30.4 cm; (plate) 27.1 x 21.1 cm; (chine collé) 25.9 x 19.8 cm; (image borderline) 23.9 x 17.4 cm.

State before lettering with publication details.

Charles Leblanc (1854) includes Doris Raab in “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” (vol. 3, Paris, p. 265) and lists five of Doris Raab’s prints, but sadly this engraving is not described (see https://archive.org/details/manueldelamateur03lebl/page/264/mode/2up).

See an interesting discussion about Fra Bartolommeo’s painting offered by the Web Gallery of Art: https://www.wga.hu/html_m/b/bartolom/fra/christ4e.html).

Friedrich von Boetticher (1898) in “Malerwerke des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts: Beitrag zur Kunstgeschichte” (Nineteenth Century Paintings: Contribution to Art History), offers the following biographical details about Doris Raab:

(transl.) “Born in Nuremberg on October 19, 1861 as the daughter of copper engraver Johann Leonhard R., whose art student she was. She worked according to Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens and van Dyck, but mostly according to newer masters and indeed with a passion and loyalty, which put her achievements next to those of her father. The artist, who works in Munich, received medals from the Nuremberg exhibitions, the Münch. int. KA. 1892 and an honourable mention by BerL ak. KA. 1892” (p. 339; see https://archive.org/details/malerwerkedesne01boetgoog/page/n348/mode/2up).

Condition: a strong and near faultless early impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate with generously wide margins. There is a dot stain in the right margin, otherwise the sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains (beyond the dot mentioned), foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this magnificent engraving executed by a sadly overlooked German female printmaker from the late 1800s (see another example of her stunning engraving held by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.215100) for the total cost of AU$217 (currently US$155.68/EUR133.28/GBP113.62 at the time of posting this listing) including 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 sensitively executed engraving showing the risen Christ as Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World) holding up his right hand in blessing while his left hand holds a staff capped with the Globus Cucigeron (orb and cross) accompanied by saints holding their scriptures and putti holding a mirror reflecting what I read as a world landscape (Weltlandschaft), 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