Antonius Wierix II’s engraving, “The Sacrifice of Abraham”, 1585, after Maarten de Vos

Antonius Wierix II (aka Anton Wierix II; Antonie Wierix II) (1555/59–1604)

“The Sacrifice of Abraham” (aka “Le Sacrifice d’Abraham”; “The Sacrifice of Isaac”; “Die Opferung des Isaak”), 1585, after the design by Maarten de Vos (aka Marten de Vos; Maerten de Vos) (1532–1603) and published in Antwerp by Eduard van Hoeswinckel (fl.1570s–1583). This impression is from this first edition, but there is a later edition published by Hugo Allard the Elder (aka Hugo Allardt; Hugo Allart) (1627–1684) with the change in publication details lettered in the plate.

Engraving on laid paper, trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline and text and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 20.6 x 26.1 cm; (image borderline) 19 x 26 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Martini de Vos/ Inuentor/ Antonius Wie./ fecit”; (centre) “ABRAHAM AD FILII MACTATIONEM SESE APPAIANT PROIBETVR AB _ANGELO”; (right) “Eduwaert van/ Hoeswinckel/ excudebat/ 1585.”

Mauquoy-Hendrickx (1978) proposes that the (transl.) “…white space above the aureole (above the head of the angel) suggest that something has been erased: perhaps the name of God in Hebrew” (vol. 1, p. 9, cat. no. 60).

State i (of ii) before the addition publication details for Hugo Allard the Elder.

Mauquoy-Hendrickx 60 (Marie Mauquoy-Hendrickx 1978, “Les Estampes Des Wierix”, vol. 1, Brussels, Bibliotheque Royale Albert, [text] p. 9, [ill.] p. 6).

See also the description of this print offered by the Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum Braunschweig: https://global.museum-digital.org/object/1563654.

Condition: a strong and well-printed (near faultless) impression, trimmed close to the image borderline and laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper providing wide margins. The lower right corner is lost and has been replenished and there is a restored tear on the lower edge, otherwise the sheet is in a good condition with no significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this superb first state impression of a finely executed engraving for AU$355 (currently US$237.28/EUR214.69/GBP188.99 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 executed in 1585—fifty years before Rembrandt executed his etching with drypoint of the same subject, “Abraham's Sacrifice” (1635)—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