Unidentified printmaker’s copy of Adriaen van Ostade’s etching, “Smiling Peasant Woman”, c.1663

Unidentified printmaker/copyist from the circle of Adriaen van Ostade (aka Adriaen Jansz. van Ostade) (1610–1685)

“Smiling Peasant Woman” (TIB title) (aka “Bust of a Peasant” [Godefroy title], “Paysan qui rit”; “Petit Buste de Paysanne”; Klein Büste einer Bäuerin), c.1663. I propose that is a copy in the same direction and with the same dimensions as the original plate based on the regularity of the shading. If this is the case, this impression was published in a collected edition of Van Ostade’s prints by the artist’s widow, Jean.

Etching on fine laid paper trimmed with a narrow margin around the image borderline.

Size: (sheet) 3.3 x 3.4 cm; (plate) 3.2 x 3 cm; (image borderline) 2.8 x 2.7 cm.

Inscribed in plate with the artist’s monogram: (upper left [soft]) "AO".

(Copy of) state v (of v) with the addition of the borderline and the artist’s monogram.

Refences for Van Ostade’s original plate: TIB 1.2 (Leonard J Slatkes [ed.] 1978, “The Illustrated Bartsch: Netherlandish Artists”, vol. 1, Abaris Books, New York, p. 327, cat. no. 2); Godefroy 2 (Louis Godefroy 1990, “The Complete Etchings of Adriaen Van Ostade”, San Francisco, Alan Wofsy, pp. 41–42, cat. 2).

See also the descriptions of Van Ostade’s original plate offered by the British Museum and the Rijksmuseum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1857-0214-208;              http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.38806.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression, trimmed close to the platemark, in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, significant stains (but the whole sheet is slightly toned by its age) or foxing.

I am selling this curiously interesting deceptive copy of Van Ostade’s etching, that was possibly executed for, and published by, the artist’s widow, for AU$327 in total (currently US$218.57/EUR197.76/GBP174.08 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing this tiny etching—it’s only a smidgen larger than a thumb print! —showing a happy peasant women wearing a head-scarf that was possibly designed as a pendant to the etching of a laughing peasant man (see https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2023/07/copy-after-adriaen-van-ostades-etching.html), please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Note that the purchase price for the combined purchase of the two etchings of the laughing farmer and his wife is AU$400 (currently US$267.36; EUR241.91; GBP212.95) including shipping.