Nicolas Beatrizet’s engraving, “St. Elizabeth of Hungary Visiting the Sick”, c1550

Nicolas Beatrizet (aka Nicolas Beatricetto) (c1507/15–1573/77)

“St. Elizabeth of Hungary Visiting the Sick” (TIB title), c1550 (1540–1566), after the design by Girolamo Muziano (aka Brescianino) (1528/32–1592). Initially published by Antoine Lafréry (aka Antonio Lafreri) (1512?–1577), this impression is from the later edition published in Rome by Carlo Losi (fl. late-1700s) in 1773 (as inscribed in plate).

Engraving with etching printed in a warm silvery-grey ink on laid paper.

Size: (sheet) 54.4 x 41.4 cm; (plate) 45.2 x 36.1 cm; (image borderline) 44.8 x 34.9 cm.

Lettered in plate: (upper left on wall) “SANCTA ELISABETH REGIS/ VNGARIE FILIA VAS VIRTV/ TVM ET MIRACVLORVM MA/ GNITVDINE CLARA QVÆ/ PARENTVM GENEROSITATE/ ET DIVITIARVM IACTANTIA/ CONTEMPTA PRO CORONA/ CINERE ET PRO PECTORALI/ FASCIA CILICIVM SVSCIPIENS/ MVNDO SE FECIT IGNOBILEM/ VT NOBILIS CVM CHRISTO/ EFFICERETVR IN COELIS”; (lower left corner) “HIERONVMO/ MVCIANO/ BRIXIANO/ INVENT”; (lower centre edge) “Presso Carlo Losi 1773”; (lower right corner) “NICOLAVS BEATRICIVS/ LO[TH]ARINGVS INCIDIT/ ET FORMIS SVIS EXC.”

State iii (of iii) with the erasure of the publication details added in state ii for Antoine Lafréry (“Romae Ant. Lafrerij”) and the addition of the publication details for Carlo Losi. Note that traces of the erased address of Lafréry may be seen between the second and third tile from the left.

TIB 31 (255) (Suzanne Boorsch [ed.] 1982, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Italian Masters of the Sixteenth Century”, vol. 29, New York, Abaris Books, p. 275, cat. no. 31 [255]); Bartsch XV.255.31.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: ”St Elizabeth of Hungary visiting the sick, she blesses a woman who kneels before her. Engraving” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1874-0613-603).

See also the descriptions of this print at the Rijksmuseum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.76241; https://philamuseum.org/collection/object/144.

For those unfamiliar with Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (aka Elizabeth of Thuringia) (1207–1231), the block of Latin text at upper left in the engraving advises that Saint Elizabeth was the daughter of the King of Hungary (Ludwig IV) and “a vessel of virtue and miracles”. Although born to wealth and nobility, I understand that Elizabeth despised both and—again from my reading of the Latin text—famously wore “ashes” rather than (I assume) jewels when she engaged in charitable acts for the sick and poor as portrayed in the print. Elizabeth had three children and died at only 24.

Condition: a well-printed impression that shows very few signs of wear to the printing plate despite the silvery grey colour of the printing ink suggesting otherwise. The sheet has generous margins with tear fractures; otherwise, the sheet is in a good condition with no holes, significant stains or foxing. Verso has several numbers written in faded ink by an old hand.

I am selling this large and very beautiful engraving that to my eyes seems to delicately shimmer with the silvery grey ink in which it was printed, for the total cost of AU$312 (currently US$226.92/EUR194.31/GBP165.90 at the time of 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 engraving executed at the time of Michelangelo—mindful that the engraver worked under the direction of Michelangelo—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.