Nicolaes Berchem’s etching, “Shorn Ewe with Lambs”, c1649

Nicolaes Berchem (aka Nicolaes Pietersz. Berchem; Nicolaes Berchen; Niclas Berghem; Claes Berighem; Nicolaes Pietersz.Berrighem) (1624–1683)

“Shorn Ewe with Lambs” (aka “Zogend schaap met lammeren”; “Une brèbis tondue, debout, vue de profil et dirigée vers la droite” [Bartsch title]), c1648–1650, plate 4 from a series of eight numbered plates showing sheep, “Animalia” (aka “Animals”; “Set of Sheep”; “Schapen”; “Animalia ad vivum delineata et aqua forti aeri impressa Studio et Arte Nicolai Berchem”; “Woman’s Book”; “A Woman’s Sketchbook II” [TIB title]).

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

Size: (sheet) 10.4 x 11.7 cm; (plate) 10.1 x 11.5 cm.

Inscribed in plate: (lower left and lower right corners) “4”; (lower left of centre) “CB [ligature monogram] erghem f”; (upper right corner) “a”.

State vii (of viii) with the number “4” inscribed twice and the addition of the letter “a”.

TIB 7(5).44(277) (Otto Naumann 1978, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists”, vol. 7, New York, Abaris Books, p. 75, cat. no. 44 [ 277]); Hollstein Dutch 44.VII; Biesboer P81 (Pieter Biesboer et al. [eds.] 2006, “Nicolaes Berchem: In the Light of Italy”, Haarlem, Frans Hals Museum, pp. 124–25, cat. no. P81).

The Rijksmuseum offers a description of this print from the first state: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.38082.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print from the seventh state:

“A shorn ewe standing in profile and facing the right with two lambs around her, one sleeping to the left, the other suckling; from a series of eight plates showing sheep” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_Sheepshanks-6481). See also the British Museum’s description of the frontispiece etching for the series: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_Sheepshanks-3948.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression trimmed around the platemark and laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. Beyond a rounding to the lower left corner, the sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains or foxing.

I am selling this insightful and beautifully rendered portrayal of a ewe suckling one of her lambs—note Berchem’s revealed knowledge about the standing position of a ewe when feeding her young, in showing the ewe’s back leg moved slightly forward and the angling of her hindquarters downwards to help with the flow of milk—for the total cost of AU$198 (currently US$142.50/EUR125.70/GBP104.87 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 and subtly animated etching, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.