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Sunday, 26 May 2024

Augustin Hirschvogel’s etching, “The Betrayal of Christ”, 1547

Augustin Hirschvogel (1503–1553)

“The Betrayal of Christ” (TIB title) (aka “The Kiss of Judas”, 1547 (date inscribed in plate), from the series of 104 illustrations published in Vienna in 1550 by Aegidius Adler (fl.mid-1500s) in “Vorredt und eingang der Concordantzen alt und news Testaments."

Etching on fine laid paper trimmed around the image borderline (with loss of the accompanying letterpress text [see https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.39407.html]) and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 11.6 x 14.4 cm.

Inscribed in plate within the image borderline: (lower right-of-centre) “1548”.

TIB 18 (9).1.47 (171) (Jane S Peters [ed.] 1982, “The Illustrated Bartsch: German Masters of the Sixteenth Century”, vol. 18, Abaris Books, New York, p. 141, cat. no. 1.47 [171]); Paisey 306; Hollstein 134b; Schwarz 44.

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “Betrayal of Christ; Christ at center, Judas kissing his cheek, Roman soldiers advancing from right, apostles at left; accompanied by German biblical verse to Lucas 22 in letterpress; printed to face the antetype of Gideon slays Zebah and Zalmunna; illustration to Peter Perenyi and Augustin Hirschvogel, 'Vorredt und eingang der Concordantzen alt und news Testaments, durch Pereny Petri... Und nachuolgents durch Augustin Hirßfogel... erweytert' (Vienna, Aegidius Adler: 1550). 1547” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1926-0617-13-40).

The Curator of the British Museum advises that Adler’s publication features “[t]wo etchings to a page with German letterpress above and below with relevant biblical passages” (see BM no. 1926,0617.13.55). TIB notes that this print is paired with the etching “Jacob Betrays Abner” (see TIB 18 [9].1.46 [171]).

Condition: a strong and well-printed lifetime impression (based on the line quality with no sign of wear to the printing plate), trimmed around to the image borderline and laid onto a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. The sheet is in a very good condition with no tears, folds or significant stains.

I am selling this very early and extremely rare etching illustrating an Old Testament scene from Luke 22, for AU$310 in total (currently/approximately US$205.75/EUR189.56/GBP161.48 at the time of posting 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. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$310) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in acquiring this Renaissance period print executed in Michelangelo’s lifetime by the artist who arguably popularised the great Albrecht Altdorfer’s somewhat panoramic approach to landscape—note, for example, the treatment of the foreground trees set against the distant mountains and the group of advancing soldiers at right that are shown as not only spatially stacked with in diminishing sizes, but also portrayed with aerial perspective in the blurred details of the men further away—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










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