Orazio Borgianni’s etching, “Adoration of the Golden Calf”, 1615, after Raphael

Orazio Borgianni (aka Orazio Borgiani) (c1578–1616)

“Adoration of the Golden Calf” (aka “The Israelites Adoring the Colden Calf”), 1615 (inscribed in plate), plate 34 from the series of 52 etchings, “Paintings in the Loggia of Raphael”, after Raphael’s (1483–1520) Loggia frescoes in the Vatican.

Etching on fine laid paper.

Size: (sheet) 17.9 x 21.4 cm; (plate) 16 x 19.5 cm.

Inscribed in plate: (outside the image borderline at lower-left ) “34”; (within the image borderline at lower-left) “1615/ [monogram of artist]”.

Lifetime impression, state i (of i) (my attribution of this impression to a lifetime copy is based on the quality of line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate).

TIB 38.34 (Walter L Strauss [ed.] 1979, “The Illustrated Bartsch”, vol. 38, New York, Abaris Books, p. 393, cat. no. 38 [318]).

The Rijksmuseum offers the following description of this print: (transl.) “The Israelites dance and kneel before the golden calf. In the background on the left, Moses, out of anger over the idolatry of the Israelites, smashes the tablets of the law” (http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.85386).

See also the description of this print offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1893-1018-19-30.

Condition: a strong impression with small margins (approx. 1 cm) in an excellent condition for its considerable age with no tears, holes, folds or significant stains.

I am selling this superb etching executed in the last year of the artist’s life and based on the design of the legendary Raphael who had passed away only 95 years before this print was created, for AU$287 (currently US$188.75/EUR174.02/GBP148.68 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 rare and very interesting Renaissance period print—note the artist’s somewhat crude attempt to create the illusion that the image is edged with a window-box frame by portraying light and shadow cast on it from a light source at upper right—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