Cornelis Visscher II’s engraving (with etching), “John the Evangelist”, 1650

Cornelis Visscher II (aka Cornelis Vischer) (1628/9–1658)

“John the Evangelist” (aka “Evangelist Johannes”; “S. Ioannes”), 1650, from the series of four plates, “The Four Evangelists” (aka “Vier Evangelisten”), published in Haarlem by Cornelis Visscher II.

Engraving with etching on laid paper trimmed around the image borderline with the partial loss of the writing edge, backed with a support sheet providing wide margins.

Size: (support sheet) 42.8 x 34.4 cm; (sheet) 25.5 x 19.2 cm; (image borderline) 23.2 x 19.2 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Corn. Vischer Inveniebat”; (centre) “S. IOANNES”; (right) “Corn. Vischer Sculpebat”.

State ii (of ii)

Hollstein Dutch 14-2(2) (Christiaan Schuckman [comp.] 1992, Dutch and Flemish Engravings, Etchings and Woodcuts, ca. 1450–1700: Cornelis de Visscher, Cornelis Visscher, Hendrick Jansz Visscher, Lambert Visscher”, vol. 40, Roosendaal, Koninklijke Van Poll, p. 22, cat. no.14).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “St John, half-length, holds quill pen and spine of open book with an eagle holding an inkpot in its beak; he looks upwards as if seeking inspiration. 1650 Engraving and etching” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1839-0413-168).

See also the description of this print offered by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.191093.

Condition: a strong and well-printed (near faultless) impression, trimmed around the image borderline with partial loss of the writing edge and laid onto a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains (but there is a dot stain on the artist’s name at lower right) or foxing.

I am selling this superb engraving (with etching) showing the apostle, John the Evangelist; looking upwards in a moment of inspiration while writing his gospel assisted by his symbolic attribute, an eagle, holding an ink pot, for the total cost of AU$277 (currently US$186.07/EUR176.24/GBP155.58 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 masterwork from the mid-1600s, 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