Heinrich Vogtherr I’s woodcuts of executions, c1548

Heinrich Vogtherr I (1490–1556)

Two woodcut prints showing execution scenes: (left) “Broken on the Wheel”; (right) “Burnt at the Stake”, c1548, published by Christoph Froschauer (1490–1564) in Zurich in 1548 as woodcut illustrations on page 90 (and other pages) to the first volume of Johannes Stumpf’s (1500–c1578) “Gemeiner loblicher Eydgnoschafft Stetten, Landen vnd Voelckeren ...”.

See the description of this publication offered by Christies Auctions (https://www.christies.com.cn/zh-cn/lot/lot-6352303) and view these prints in their context in the publication offered by Archive.org: https://archive.org/details/gemeinerlobliche01stum/page/n201/mode/2up).

Two woodcuts trimmed with narrow margins around the image borderline printed on laid paper with fragments of German letterpress text and illustrations verso. The woodcut, “Broken on the Wheel” has been laid upon a support sheet providing wide margins.

Size: (left and right sheet) 6.9 x 6.7 cm and 6.6 x 6.7 cm.

Condition: Both impressions are well-printed (near faultless) showing no sign of wear to the printing plate and are trimmed with a narrow margin around the borderline. Based on the quality of the line and the text printed verso I believe that these are lifetime impressions.

I am selling these graphically gruesome woodcuts of early executions, for the total cost of AU$224 for the pair (currently US$157.47/EUR145.30/GBP127.55 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 these famous, important and dreadful scenes of executions, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

These prints have been sold

Jean Lepautre’s etching, “Frieze with Putti Amidst Acanthus Scrolls”, c1650

 

Jean Lepautre (aka Jean Le Pautre; Jean Le Potre; Jean Lepotre) (1618–1682)

“Frieze with Putti Amidst Acanthus Scrolls”, c1650, plate 2 from the series of six numbered plates, “Frises et diferants Ornaments à Italiene“, published in Paris by Pierre Mariette II (1634-1716) in 1657 (this date is based on Mariette’s inscribed address of publication [Rue St Jacques à l'Espérance] that he occupied in 1657) with royal privilege from Louis XIV (King of France).

Etching on fine laid paper.

Size: (sheet) 20 x 28.1 cm: (plate) 16.1 x 23 cm; (image borderline) 15.2 x 22 cm.

Lettered on plate below the image borderline: (left) “Inuen. et graué par I. le Pautre.”; (left of centre) “Auec priuil. du Roy.”; (right) “A Paris chez Pierre Mariette rue S. Iacques a lesperance. 2”

Condition: a well-printed impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate. Beyond two holes at upper right the sheet is in near pristine condition for its considerable age.

I am selling this superbly executed etching, depicting a section of a Baroque architectural frieze, for the total cost of AU$214 (currently US$151.75/EUR139.49/GBP122.34 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 very fine architectural study—note how the energy of the spiralling acanthus leaves lies not just with an opposing spiralling direction, but also with the critically important interval of straight line marking the transition between the opposing directions (an important lesson that my father taught me)—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

Paulus Potter’s etching, “The Cowherd”, 1649

Paulus Potter (aka Paul Potter) (1625–1654)

“The Cowherd” (aka “Le Vacher”; “The Herdsman”; “De Veehoeder”), 1649, a late nineteenth century impression (possibly published in Philip Gilbert Hamerton”s 1868, “Etching and Etchers”, London, MacMillan & Co).

Etching with pale plate-tone on chine collé on laid paper with flattened centrefold of publication, trimmed around the platemark and backed with a support sheet providing wide margins.

Size: (support sheet) 34.7 x 35.5 cm; (sheet) 18.5 x 20.8 cm; (platemark/chine collé) 18.3 x 20.5 cm.

Inscribed in plate: (lower left) “Paulus. Potter. In. et. F. 1649.”

Hollstein 14 (F. W. H. Hollstein 1954–2010, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts”, vols. 1-64, Amsterdam); TIB 1.14 (Leonard J Slatkes [ed.] 1978, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists”, vol. 1, New York, Abaris Books, p. 47, cat. no. 14-I [52]).

See also the descriptions of this print offered by the Rijksmuseum and the British Museum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.39047; https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_Sheepshanks-568.  

Condition: a strong (near faultless) impression, showing no sign of wear to the printing plate, trimmed around the platemark and laid onto archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins. There is virtually no evidence of the vertical fold (now flattened) created when this print was published and the sheet has no tears, holes, abrasions, stains or foxing.

I am selling this very fine impression taken from the original printing plate of Paulus Potter’s exceptionally beautiful etching—note how the foreground plants seem to be bathed in sunlight and the remarkably subtle shifts of tone rendering the front cow—for the total cost of AU$202 (currently US$143.55/EUR132.01/GBP115.81 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 late impression of a 1649 masterwork, 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

(attrib.) Gregor Fentzel’s engraving, “Summer”, c1650, after Adriaen Collaert and Maarten de Vos

(attrib.) Gregor Fentzel (aka Gregorius Fentzel) (fl. 1640–1660)

“Summer” (aka “Aestas Cereri s”; “The Summer of Ceres”; “Æstas”), c1650, from the series of four plates published in Nuremburg, “The Four Seasons”, after Adriaen Collaert’s (c1560–1618) engraving in the same direction, c1587–88, after the design by Maarten de Vos (aka Maarten de Vos; Maerten de Vos) (1532–1603).

Engraving on fine laid paper with watermark (viz. Rod of Asclepius terminating in ligature “MM” [presumably a French watermark—see a similar design, but with different lower letters, in WA Churchill’s 1935, “Watermarks in Paper”, Amsterdam, Menno Hertzberger, p. CCCLXXXII, no. 518 (w/m dated to 1628)]).

Size: (sheet) 25.4 x 29.5 cm; (plate) 21.6 x 26.4 cm; (image borderline) 19.4 x 25.9 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline in two columns of two lines of German with title in the centre.

Hollstein 1408–1411 copy e (de Vos).

The British Museum offers the following description of Adriaen Collaert’s engraving of the same design: “Summer: Ceres holding a sickle sitting on piles of wheat observing scenes of harvesting and sheep shearing; in the sky the zodiac symbols of Cancer, Leo and Virgo; plate 2; after Maarten de Vos. Engraving” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1870-0625-671).

Condition: a well-printed impression with no sign of wear to the printing plate in near pristine condition for its considerable age with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains or foxing.

I am selling this beautiful and graphically animated engraving showing in the foreground, the goddess of agriculture, Ceres, with a sickle in her hand and seated beside a bountiful harvest, while in the background peasants are at work in the fields with the relevant zodiac signs of the season (viz. Cancer, Leo and Virgo) displayed in the sky, for the total cost of AU$312 (currently US$221.72/EUR203.89/GBP178.88 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 rare engraving following the designs of Adriaen Collaert and Maarten de Vos, 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

Jacques Callot’s etching, “The Temptation of Saint Anthony”, 1635

Jacques Callot (1592–1635)

“The Temptation of Saint Anthony (second version)” (aka “La Tentation de St Antoine”), 1635, third state of five states, published in Paris by Israël Henriet (c1590–1661).

Etching on laid paper trimmed around the platemark with partial loss of writing edge (cf. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1861-0713-262) and backed with a support sheet providing margins.

Size: (support sheet) 42.2 x 56.1 cm; (sheet) 33 x 46.6 cm.

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline: (lower left) “Jac. Callot Inuen. et fe”.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “ILLVSTRISSIMO MAXIMOQVE VIRO D.D. LVDOVICO PHELYPEAVX DNO./ IA. CALLOT VOVET”; (right) “DE LAVRILIERE COMITI CONSISTORIANO SACRARVM IVSSIONVMIIIIVIRO/ DEDICAT CONSECRATQVE.”

Lieure 1416 iii (of v) (Jules Lieure 1989, “Jacques Callot: Catalogue Raisonné de l’Œuvre Gravé, San Francisco, Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, pp. 93–95, cat. no. 1416 3^e); Meaume 139 iii (of iv).

Jules Lieure (1989) offers the following description of this complex masterwork: (transl.) “St Anthony is to the right, raising the cross to protect himself from the demons who assail him.

Above him, a fantastic concert is given on the ruins of a gigantic palace. On the left, other ruins and rocks. In the sky, Satan himself, an infernal monster, vomits an infinite number of imps. In the background, we see the sea with a boat loaded with beings of the same family.

In the background to the left, a procession advances towards the saint: it is the woman of the Temptation, seated on top of a skeleton dragged by extraordinary animals.

In the foreground, we see a cannon made of an animal whose mouth projects a whole arsenal.

Finally on the right, the pig which accompanies the saint, is himself the victim of the fantasy of an imp who goes after him. The whole board is filled with demons of all shapes and sizes, indulging in all sorts of spooky pursuits” (vol.1, p. 93).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression trimmed slightly irregularly around the image borderline with loss of some of the lower text. There is restoration of tears and holes and the sheet is laid onto archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins.

I am selling this large and famous masterwork of etching executed in the final year of the artist’s life, for the total cost of AU$1355 (currently US$963.35/EUR885.99/GBP778.46 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 fabulously conceived and stunningly executed etching by one of the most important and innovative of the old master printmakers, 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