Crispin van de Passe II’s engraving, “Reclining Female Nude with Pearl Necklace”, 1643-44

Crispin van de Passe II (aka Crispijn de Passe II; Crispijn van Passe II) (1594–1670)

“Reclining Female Nude with Pearl Necklace”, 1643-44

Illustration from the third part (female nude studies) of what may be the largest of the early drawing books to be published, “La prima [-quinta] parte della luce del dipingere et disegnare …” (The first [to the fifth] part of the light of painting and drawing) (aka “Van't Light der teken en schilder konst” [From the Light of drawing and painting art]), published in Amsterdam, 1643–44, by Jan Jansz. with Crispin van de Passe II as the author.

See details of this publication offered by the MFA Boston: https://collections.mfa.org/objects/523562/la-prima-quinta-parte-della-luce-del-dipingere-et-disegna;jsessionid=6B58FEA2F30EAFBE381E2390322110AF.

See also an online copy of this publication (missing this plate) offered by artchive.org: https://archive.org/details/laprimaquintapar00pass/page/n3/mode/2up.

Engraving on laid paper.

Size: (sheet) 22.4 x 30.9 cm; (plate) 19.3 x 28 cm; (image borderline) 18.9 x 27.5 cm.

Hollstein 191

Condition: a strong impression (possibly a lifetime impression based on the quality of the line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate) with minor printers’ creases at upper left; otherwise, in a near faultless condition with no tears, holes, abrasions, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this superb impression in a remarkably good state of preservation, mindful that most prints from this early publication were handled and soiled based on the designed use of the images for art students to study and copy, for the total cost of AU$402 (currently US$268.70/EUR243.12/GBP214.01 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 exceptionally fine (and rare) study of a female nude executed in the early 1640s, 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