Jacques de Sève, “Iris de Suze”, c.1772

Jacques de Sève (aka Jacques Henri Eustache de Sève) (fl.1742–1788)

“Iris de Suze” (aka Rouw iris, Iris Susiana, Iris Calcedonica, Mourning Iris), c.1772, hand-coloured engraving after the design by Jacques de Sève, plate 24 (the final plate) from the series, “Recueil de Vingt-Quatre Plantes et Fleurs”, published in Paris in 1772.

See descriptions of other plate from the same series offered by the Cleveland Museum of Art and Sotheby’s Auctions: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1949.413 and  https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2017/magnificent-botanical-library-df-allen-n09659/lot.13.html.

Note that in the description of the publication offered by Sotheby’s Auctions explains the rarity of the book (and in turn the engraved plates): “A substantial portion of a very rare and little-known work that seems to have no presence in the auction records. OCLC's WorldCat cites a single location for the book, the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, Paris” (op.cit.).

Engraving on fine laid paper (watermark “IV”) hand-coloured at the time of publication with small margins around the image borderline.

Size: (sheet) 37.4 x 23.2cm; (image borderline) 33.8 x 21.7cm.

Numbered and lettered in plate: (upper left corner) “24”; (lower left corner) “De Seve del.”; (lower centre) “Iris de Suze.”

Condition: a strong impression with excellent (near faultless) hand-colouring, trimmed with a small margin around the image borderline. There is significant staining on the lower-left side, otherwise the sheet is in a good condition for its age and size with no tears, holes, folds or abrasions.

I am selling this exceptionally rare engraving with hand-colouring as published, for AU $277 in total (currently US $172.26/ EUR 165.44/ GBP 137.52 at the time of posting this print) 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 $277) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this remarkably fine engraving, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.