Joseph Parrocel, “The Ascension”, c.1685

Joseph Parrocel (1646–1704)

“The Ascension” (aka “L’Ascension”), c.1685, published in Paris in 1685 by Sébastien Marbre-Cramoisy (1637? –1687) as an illustration to the “Missale Parisiense” and later reissued by the Josse brothers (Georges Josse II [1650–94] and Louis Josse [1655–1739]), in 1690 and 1706.

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

Size: (sheet) 9.3 x 16.2 cm; (image borderline) 9.1 x 16.1 cm.

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline: (at lower centre) “I. Parrossel in et f.”

State ii? (of iii) with the addition of text printed verso but before retouching of state iii (see Robert_Dumesnil’s [1835] description of the three states [p. 254]). Note that I have been unable to compare impressions from states ii and iii to confirm that this impression is from the second state.

Robert-Dumesnil 3 (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. 255, cat. no. 3: see https://archive.org/details/bnf-bpt6k65575384/page/n273/mode/2up).

Condition: a strong and well-printed early impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate, trimmed with a thread margin around the image borderline. The sheet is in a very good condition with no significant stains and laid is onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins.

I am selling this strong and rare etching—note that I have been unable to find another impression of this print in the online collections of the Rijksmuseum, the Louvre or the British Museum—for AU$235 in total (currently US$154.60/EUR142.57/GBP122.22 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 very direct and confidently executed old master etching, 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