Gallery of prints for sale

Saturday, 19 August 2023

Pietro Aquila’s etching with engraving, “Labours of Hercules”, c.1680, after Annibale Carracci

Pietro Aquila (1650–1692)

“Labours of Hercules”, (published) 1674 (c.1680 [BM]), plate 9 from a suite of plates showing ornamentation in the Galerie Farnese, “Imagines Farnesiani Cubiculi cum ipsarum Monocromatibus et Ornamentis”, after a fresco by Annibale Carracci (1590–1609) in the Camerino Farnese, published in Rome by Giovanni Giacomo de' Rossi (aka Giovanni Jacomo de' Rossi; Jo Jacobus de Rubeis) (16271691).

Etching with engraving on laid paper, watermarked with a Fleur-de-lis in a double circle.

Size: (sheet) 31.1 x 41.8 cm; (plate) 28 x 39.4 cm.

Lettered in plate along the upper edge: (left) “Annibal Carraccius pinx. in Ædibus. Farnesianis”; (centre) “Io.Iacobus de Rubeis formis Romæ ad Templ. S. Mariæ de Pace cum priu. Sum. Pontificis”; (right) “Petrus Aquila delineauit, et sculp.”

Numbered in plate: (lower right corner) “9”.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “Details from the decoration of the Camerino Farnese; on the left is a large irregular shaped frieze with three putti clambering over floral scrollwork surrounding an oval frame showing the figure of Constance; to the right are four separate friezes, one large oval showing a full-length female figure holding a shield; and three smaller, circular medallions showing the labours of Hercules, including Hercules wrestling Antaeus and the Nemean lion, and killing the Hydra; after Annibale Carracci, c.1680” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1865-1111-217).

See detailed information about this print offered by Hamburger Kunsthalle:  https://www.hamburger-kunsthalle.de/sammlung-online/pietro-aquila-annibale-carracci-giovanni-giacomo-de-rossi/details-der-dekoration-der; see also the account about Pietro Aquila featuring this print offered by Wikipedia: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietro_Aquila.

Condition: a strong and near faultless impression with reasonably large margins (approx. 10 mms) around the platemark. Beyond a faint mark at upper centre, the sheet is in a near pristine condition for its size and considerable age with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains, foxing or signs of handling.

I am selling this lifetime impression (based on quality of line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate) featuring a composite arrangement of details from Annibale Carracci’s fresco depicting episodes of Hercules labours—viz. slaying the Nemean lion; slaying the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra; wrestling Antaeus—for AU$298 (currently US$199.18/EUR180.22/GBP158.65 at the time of posting this print) 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 finely executed etching of Baroque fresco ornamentation, 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










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