Circle of Winckelmann, (two views of a canopic jar) “Plate XV” & “Plate XVI”, c.1793

Unidentified printmaker from the circle of the historian and archaeologist, Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717–1768)

“Plate XV: Canopic Jar (Anterior View)” and “Plate XVI: Canopic Jar (Posterior View)” (descriptive titles only), c.1793, after the engravings by Girolamo Rossi (aka Hieronymus Rossi; Hieronimus Rossi; Girolamo Rossi the Younger) (1680–1720) published in Rome in 1736 (see: https://archive.org/details/gri_33125010839096/page/n22/mode/1up & https://archive.org/details/gri_33125010839096/page/n24/mode/1up) and the intermediary designs by Giovanni Battista Calandrucci (fl.1702–c.1749). This pair of engravings were published in Paris in 1793 by Hendrik J. Jansen (1741–1812) as illustrations (plates XV and XVI) to volume 1 of Johann Joachim Winckelmann’s “Histoire de l'Art chez les Anciens”.

Archive.org offers an online view of this prints in the context of the publication, “Histoire de l'Art chez les Anciens”: https://archive.org/details/gri_histoiredela01winc/page/n831/mode/2up & https://archive.org/details/gri_histoiredela01winc/page/n833/mode/2up.

Engraving with etching on laid paper (Plate XVI has a partial watermark).

Size of each print: (sheet) 26.7 x 20.8 cm; (plate) 20.9 x 15 cm; (image borderline) 18.3 x 13.4 cm.

Lettered in plate above the image borderline: (left) “Tome I.”; (right) “Pl. XV.”/” Pl. XVI.”

Condition: both impressions are strong and well-printed showing no sign of wear to the printing plate. There is a stain in the right margin of Plate XVI, otherwise the pair of prints are in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains.

I am selling this unusual pair of engravings showing two different views of the same canopic jar, for AU$304 in total for the pair (currently US$196.93/EUR184.88/GBP158.08 at the time of this listing) including Express (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 these interesting engravings of a canopic jar featuring the attributes (in my understanding which may be wrong) of Osiris-Canopus (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canopus_(mythology)) or Imset (aka Amset)—“the protective divinity of the liver of the dead” (see https://www.proantic.com/en/1316408-canopic-vase-with-the-head-of-amset.html), please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.