Adriaen Collaert, “Fishing for Tuna”, c.1596, after Jan van der Straet

Adriaen Collaert (c.1560–1618)

“Fishing for Tuna”, c.1596, Plate 89 from the series of 104 engravings, “Hunting Parties” (aka “Venationes Ferarum, Avium, Piscium” (transl. “With wild beasts, birds, fish”), after Jan van der Straet (aka Joannes Stradanus; Ioannes Stradanus) (1523–1605), published in Antwerp by Philips Galle (1537–1612).

Archive.org offers an online view the publication, “Venationes Ferarum, Avium, Piscium”, featuring this print before the change in its plate numbering: https://archive.org/details/printboeck00stra/page/29/mode/1up.

Note: the first edition of “Venationes Ferarum, Avium, Piscium” published by Galle comprised 43 unnumbered plates all engraved by Galle with a dedication page to Cosimo de Medici. After this edition the series was expanded to 104 plates engraved by A. Collaert, J. Collaert, C. Galle I and C. de Mallery with a dedication page to the jurist Henricus van Osthoorn en Sonnevelt (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1957-0413-37 and A. Baroni and M. Sellink, “Stradanus 1523-1605: Court artist of the Medici”, exh. cat. Groeningemuseum Brugge 2008–09, Turnhout, 2012, pp. 245–58, cat. nos. 32–49).

Engraving on fine laid paper trimmed with a small margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 21.2 x 27.3 cm; (platemark) 20.7 x 26.5 cm; (image borderline) 18.7 x 25.8 cm.

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline along lower edge: (centre) “Ioan. Stradanus inuent.”; (right of centre) “Adrian. Collaert sculp.”; (right) “Phls Galle excud.”

Numbered and lettered in plate in two columns of two lines below the image borderline: (left) “89.”; (centre) “Parthenopææ vrbis Thynnus prope littora Magnis/ Tempore certo anni solet aduentare caterusi.// Piscator conto tensa hos in retia pellit,/ Fuscinula figit, vel acuti dente tridentis.” ([Google transl.] At a certain season of the year, the Catherus are wont to arrive near the shores of the city of Thynnus in Parthenopeia. The fisherman drives them into the net with a tight line, and catches the Fuscinula, or with the sharp tooth of a trident.)

New Hollstein (Dutch & Flemish) 494 (Marjolein Leesberg [comp.] 2008, “The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700: Johannes Stradanus”, vol. 3, Amsterdam, Sound and Vision Rijksmuseum, cat. no. 494); Baroni Vannucci 693.89 (Alessandra Baroni Vannucci 1997, “Jan van der Straet, detto Giovanni Stradano, flandrus pictor et inventor”, Milan, Jandi Sapi Editori).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “Fishing for Tuna; to the left, fishermen catch the tuna using nets and tridents; to right, the catch is laid out on the shore; a town is seen with a harbour beyond (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1872-0511-1263).

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression with a small margin around the platemark and laid upon an archival support sheet of millennium quality washi paper. Beyond a restored tear in the lower edge, the sheet is in very good condition for its considerable age with no holes, folds, losses or significant stains.

I am selling this exceptionally rare, engraving from the late 1500s for the total cost of AU$320 (currently US$208.77/EUR193.36/GBP165.37 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) 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 historically interesting view of the catching of tuna and the use of smoke signals between fortifications shown in the distance, 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