François Dequevauviller, “Portrait de Nicolas Kratzer Astronome”, after Hans Holbein the Younger

François Dequevauviller (aka Nicolas Barthélemi François Dequevauviller) (1745–1807)

Although the British Museum attributes of this print to Nicolas Barthélemi François Dequevauviller, there may be a case to attribute the engraving to Nicolas Barthélemi François Dequevauviller’s son, François Jacques Dequevauvillier (1783–1848).

“Portrait de Nicolas Kratzer Astronome”—(1486/7–after 1550) a mathematician, astronomer and maker of sundials, appointed as the royal astronomer to Henry VIII (see National Portrait Gallery inv. no. 5245), c.1798 (BM dates, 1789–1807), after the intermediary design by Giuseppe Anastasi (c.1732–after 1810?), after the painting in the Musée du Louvre (as inscribed in plate) of Nicolas Kratzer dated in the painting, 1528. by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1497–1543), published in the second half of the 1800s in Paris by Félix Hermet. (1845–1894) as plate 2 in a series of 73 engravings

Engraving on buff coloured chine collé on heavy wove paper.

Size: (sheet) 58.5 x 39.7cm; (plate) 50.3 x 36cm; (chine collé) 28.8 x 34.7cm; (image borderline) 25 x 20.1cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “Peint par Holbein (Jean)/ FÉLIX HERMET Imprimeur Editeur PARIS.”; (centre) “Dessiné par Anastasi./ PORTRAIT DE NICHOLAS KRATZER ASTRONOME./ ECÖLE ALLEMANDE/ 2”;  (right) “Gravé par Dequevauvillers./ MUSÉE DU LOUVRE.”

O'Donoghue 1 (Marius Freeman O'Donoghue 1908, “Catalogue of engraved British portraits preserved in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum”, vol. 2, London, British Museum, Dept. of Prints and Drawings, p. 714, cat. no. 1 [ KRATZER, NICHOLAS] [see https://archive.org/details/catalogueofengra02brit/page/n723/mode/2up]).

The British Museum offers the following description of this print before the publisher details for Félix Hermet: “Portrait of Nicholas Kratzer, half-length, slightly turned to the right, seated at a table with a decagon in one hand and a pair of compasses in the other, dressed in an academic gown over his doublet with a soft cap on his head, other scientific instruments hung on the wall behind and lying on the table, illustration to the 'Musee Royal'” (BM inv. no. 1853,1008.185).

Condition: a very strong and near faultless impression in near pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions, stains or signs of handling.

I am selling this huge engraving in a near pristine condition showing Nicolas Kratzer surrounded with the tools of his trade (e.g., measuring devices, bits of a gnomon [sundial], a burin and scissors)—for those wondering about the  letter beside him, the Latin inscription in Holbein’s painting reads: (transl. [NPG 5245])  “The portrait of Nicolaus Kratzer of Munich, a Bavarian, taken from life when he was completing his forty-first year./ 1528”—for AU$279 in total (currently US$183.08/EUR168.84/GBP141.70 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. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$279) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this simply magnificent engraving executed with the highest order of skill, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.