François Basan’s engraving (with etching), “La Mort Aux Rats“, c1746, after Cornelis Visscher

François Basan (aka Pierre-François Basan) (1723–1797)

“La Mort Aux Rats“, c1746 (1738–1754), engraving with etching after, and in reverse to, Cornelis Visscher’s (1619/29–1662) famous engraving executed in c1660, published by François Basan in Paris.

Etching and engraving on laid paper with wide margins backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 53.5 x 41.1 cm: (plate) 38.4 x 32.9 cm; (image borderline) 35.6 x 30.6 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “C. Vischer inv.”; (left of centre) “Si par un remede nouveau,/ J extirpois les rats du cerveau.”; (centre) “LA MORT AUX RATS/ A. Paris chés Basan Rue du Foin.“; (right of centre) “Combien de gens auroient besoin du Specifique,/ Et combien dans paris seroient de mes pratiques.”; (right) F. Basan Exc.”

IFF 116 (Basan) (Jean Adhémar & Jacques Lethève 1954, “Inventaire du Fonds Français: Bibliothèque Nationale”, Paris, Département des Estampes, cat. no. 116).

The Philadelphia Museum of Art and BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France) offer descriptions of this print: https://www.philamuseum.org/collection/object/908; https://data.bnf.fr/en/16859195/pierre-francois_basan_la_mort_aux_rats/.

Condition: a well-printed impression (near faultless) with generously wide margins and laid upon a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. There is a stain on the pole the apprentice is holding and minor handling minor marks in the margin, otherwise the sheet is in a good condition with no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions or foxing.

I am selling this curiously interesting image originally composed around 1660 by Cornelis Visscher showing a rat-catcher and his apprentice seeking clients possibly from around Amsterdam and Leiden (based on the coat-of-arms of both cities shown on the box that the rat-catcher carries), for the total cost of AU$293 (currently US$203.22/EUR193.59/GBP166.16 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 large engraving (with etching) offering an insight into how pest exterminators advertised their services in the 17^th century—note how the rat-catcher engages the eye with live rats such as those on and in the cage held aloft by the apprentice and the rather cute one in the rat-catcher’s cloak peering at the cheese he holds and the dead rats festooned beneath the cage that the apprentice holds—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