Hendrik Goltzius’ engraving, “Venus and Amor”, c.1595

Hendrik Goltzius (aka Hendrick Goltzius) (1558–1617)

formerly attributed to Jan Saenredam (c1565–1607) (see TIB 4[3].66[242])

“Venus and Amor” (aka “Venus in Half-Length” [TIB title]; “Venus and Cupid with a Flaming Heart”), c.1595 (1575–1607), plate 2 from the series of three plates, “Bacchus, Venus and Cupid and Ceres”, with distichon in the margin by Cornelis Schonaeus (aka Cornelius Schonæus) (1541–1611)—famous for his verses on many of Goltzius and his fellow Haarlem Mannerists’ engravings, who was a Humanist and “the last Catholic rector of the Haarlem Latin School” (see TIB vol. 3 [Commentary], p. 152).

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

Size: (sheet) 24.7 x 18 cm; (image borderline) 23.4 x 17.6 cm.

Inscribed with the artist’s monogram: “(below the oval) "HG".

Lettered in two lines of Latin verse below the image borderline: (centre) “[2] // Cum Cerere, et Baccho mea iuncta potential magna est,/ Abs[que] his exiguam vim meus ignis habet. // C. [Schonaeus]". (With Ceres and Bacchus my combined potential is great, and away from them my fire has little power. C Schonaeus)

State i (of i)

TIB 0301.160e (Walter L Strauss [ed.] 1982, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists: Hendrik Goltzius”, vol. 3 [Commentary], New York, Abaris Books, pp. 154–55, cat. no. [0301].160e); Holstein 67; New Holstein 145 (Marjolein Leesberg [comp.] 2012, “The New Hollstein Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: Hendrick Goltzius”, vol. 1, part 4, Ouderkerk aan den Ijssel, Sound & Vision, p. 233, cat. no. 145).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “Venus and Cupid; Venus, half-length, holds a flaming heart and puts her arm around Cupid who holds out an arrow; oval design [within] the corners doves spreading their wings above and flaming hearts pierced by crossed arrows below” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1854-0513-159).

See also the description of this print offered by the Rijksmuseum: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.169350.

Condition: a strong impression with numerous significant restorations and replenished losses (see for example the losses to the left and right sides of the lower text lines, the upper left corner and the chest area of Venus). The sheet has been trimmed with a narrow border around the image and is laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper.

I am selling this rare and very beautiful engraving (sadly with numerous restorations) by the almost legendary artist, Hendrik Goltzius, for the total cost of AU$679 (currently US$453.84/EUR410.64/GBP361.48 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 superb engraving by one of the most important and famous 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