Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert’s engraving, “Landscape with Men and Women Dancing”, c1638, after Rubens

Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert (aka Scheltius à Bolswert) (c1586–1659)

“Landscape with Men and Women Dancing” (aka “Landschap met mannen en vrouwen die dansen”), c1638 (1596–1659), after Peter Paul Rubens’ (aka Petrus Paulus Rubenius) (1577–1640) painting, “Dance of Mythological Characters and Villagers” (1630–1635) in the Museo del Prado, Madrid (inv.no.P01691; https://www.museodelprado.es/e6e93efc-e851-41d9-bf9d-50e147babb30), published in Antwerp by Gillis Hendricx (aka Gilles Hendrikx) (fl.1640–1677).

Engraving on fine laid paper trimmed with a small margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (support sheet) 40 x 53 cm; (sheet) 34 x 47.8 cm; (plate) 32.2 x 46 cm; (image borderline) 31 x 45.3 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Pet. Pau.l Rubens pinxit./ S. à Bolswert Sculpsit.”; (right)  “Gillis Hendricx excudit.”

State iv (of v) with the details of Gilles Hendricx as the publisher.

Hollstein 324 (F.W.H. Hollstein 1950, “Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts c.1450-1700: Boekhorst–Brueghel”, vol. 3, Amsterdam, Menno Hertzberger, p. 89, cat. no. 324).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print: (Transl.) “Landscape with merry company of men and women dancing to the music of a flute player sitting in a tree. The men try to steal kisses from the ladies” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.84660).

See also the description of this print offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_R-5-47.

Condition: a strong well-printed early impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. There are restored tears and nicks to the margin, otherwise the sheet is in a very good condition with no significant tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains.

I am selling this superb impression of a rare, very beautiful and large engraving—interestingly, Bolswert seems to have stretched Rubens' original design on the far left resulting in the dog shown in that area appearing to be without its front legs!—for the total cost of AU$456 (currently US$302.95/EUR285.35/GBP250.66 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 of engraving, 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