Gallery of prints for sale

Tuesday, 15 October 2024

Heinrich Guttenberg, “The Pythoness of Endor”, c.1805, after Salvator Rosa

Heinrich Guttenberg (1749–1818)

“The Pythoness of Endor” (aka “La Pythonisse d'Endor”; “The Witch of Endor”), c.1805, after Salvator Rosa (1615–1673) with the intermediary design by Charles Abraham Chasselat (aka Chasselas; Charles Abraham Chasselats) (1782–1843).

Etching with engraving on wove paper backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 56.1 x 42.5 cm; (plate) 48.7 x 34.3 cm; (image borderline) 34.7 x 24.6 cm.

Lettered below the image borderline: (left) “Peint par Salvator Rosa.”; (centre) “Dessiné par Ch. Chasselat./ LA PYTHONISSE D'ENDOR”; (right) “Gravé par H. Guttenberg.”

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “Saul consulting the witch of Endor, who summons the ghost of Samuel, after Salvator Rosa. c.1803/18” (BM inv. no. 1853,1008.113).

From my understanding of the scene (and, of course, I may be wrong), the ghost of the prophet Samuel is the glowing shroud-cloaked figure on the right summoned by the bare-breasted sorceress from the village of Endor. Saul, the first monarch of ancient Israel, is shown in the foreground bowing/supplicating to the ghost who has bad news for Saul: Israel’s armies will be defeated and Saul is to die.

Condition: a strong and near faultless impression in an excellent /near pristine condition with wide margins and no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or significant stains. The sheet has been laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this darkly dramatic image of an awakened ghost summoned by a sorceress, for the total cost of AU$263 (currently US$203.89/EUR176.05/GBP161.61 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$263) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this superb etching (with engraving), 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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