Joseph Parrocel’s etching, “Jesus Christ Early in the Morning Prays Alone in a Deserted Place”, 1661

Joseph Parrocel (1646–1704)

“Jesus Christ Early in the Morning Prays Alone in a Deserted Place” (aka “Jesus Christ de grand matin prie seul dans un lieu desert”), 1661, plate 20 from the series of forty plates, “Les Miracles de la Vie de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ” (The Miracles of the Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ). This is a life-time, first state, impression executed solely in etching before the plate was reworked with engraving in the second state—see the second state impression held by the Louvre Museum: https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl020231171. Robert-Dumesnil (1835) in the catalogue raisonné for this set of prints advises that first state impressions of “pure etching” are “rare” (see page 265: https://archive.org/details/bnf-bpt6k65575384/page/n283/mode/2up). Interestinly, this impression is likely to have been printed by the artist’s own hand as the inventory of his possession (dated 16 July, 1704) reveals that the artist possessed in the cellar of his house a “press in oak wood” to print his plates.

Etching on laid paper trimmed close to the image borderline and title, backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 15.5 x 18.4 cm; (image borderline) 14.1 x 18.4 cm.

Inscribed In plate within the image borderline: (above the foreground shadow at left-of-centre) “J. Parros. [i]n. et fe. C.P.R.”

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: “JESUS CHRIST de grand matin prie seul dans un lieu desert./ S^t. Marc Ch. 1.”

State i (of ii)

Robert-Dumesnil 60 (20) (A P F Robert-Dumesnil 1835, “Le peintre-graveur français, ou Catalogue raisonné des estampes gravées par les peintres et les dessinateurs de l'école française: ouvrage faisant suite au Peintre-graveur de M. Bartsch”, vol. 3, Paris, p. 271, cat. no. 60 [20]: see https://archive.org/details/bnf-bpt6k65575384/page/n289/mode/2up).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression, trimmed within the platemark. There is thinness to the lower edge (not visible unless the sheet is held to the light), otherwise the sheet is in a very good condition with no tears, holes, folds, significant stains or foxing and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins.

I am selling this lifetime/first state impression of an etching of the utmost rarity (see Robert-Dumesnil) before it was later “finished” with engraving, for AU$235 in total (currently US$157.07/EUR142.12/GBP125.11 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 exceptionally rare old master print, 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