Joseph Strutt’s engraving, “The Virgin with the Rose”, c1785, after Master ES

Joseph Strutt (1749–1802)

“The Virgin with the Rose”, c1785, after the engraving in the same direction, 1461, by Master ES (c1420–c1468), portraying the Virgin holding the Christ child on her arm and a rose in her other hand before a chapel (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1853-0611-244). This engraving was published in London in 1785 by J. Davis as an illustration to Joseph Strutt’s “A Biographical Dictionary” (see https://archive.org/details/biographicaldict00stru/page/n39/mode/2up).

Engraving printed in sepia ink with plate tone on heavy laid paper with partial watermark. and collectors’ stamps verso.

Size: (sheet) 28.4 x 21.1 cm; (plate) 26.6 x 19.5 cm; (image borderline) 18.3 x 13.1 cm.

Inscribed in plate with the date following the inscription by Master ES: (under the foliage of tree at upper left) “1[4]61”.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “The Virgin with the rose (copy after Master ES); Mary stands in a chapel before a seat, holding the Child on one arm and a rose with her right hand; through the left window a tree is seen. c.1785 Engraving” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_E-1-2).

Condition: a well-printed impression with generous margins. There is thinness verso resulting from former mounting with pencil inscriptions and ink stamps of previous collectors, otherwise the sheet is in a good condition with no tears, holes, folds, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this beautifully executed engraving after the design of the German master who was possibly the first artist to inscribed his engravings with his initials—hence his title “Master ES”—and arguably the first engraver to employ cross-hatching (see my early blog post, “Dotted Lozenge: Goltzius” [https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2012/11/goltzius-dotted-lozenge.html])—for the total cost of AU$263 (currently US$177.59/EUR170.69/GBP146.89 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 curiously interesting engraving, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.