Sadeler, Virgin and Child

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PROVENANCE
Prints and a Few Drawings from Great Collections of the Past

20. Aegidius (Gillis) Sadeler II (1568-1629)
after Albrecht Dürer
The Virgin and Child in a Landscape

(click on image to print)

The Virgin and Child in a Landscape

Other Images:

Engraving, ca. 1597, 336 x 242 mm., LeBlanc 35, Nagler 92, Hollstein 72 ii/ii, The Illustrated Bartsch 75 ii/iv. Fine, carefully printed impression with all the details, even in the light areas, distinct, on laid paper with an Augsburg Chalice watermark (used until the end of the 16th century), trimmed just outside the borderline and with the full text; flattened horizontal fold, printer's crease without loss of ink, a few nicks along the left edge and a tiny worm hole, soft creases from old mounting paper and glue along the edges verso. The work was almost certainly done when the artist was in Prague, and after a drawing by Dürer now in the Albertina. The extensive and distinguished provenance of this impression, despite its small flaws, is a good indication of its high quality. The vast Germanic landscape includes an annunciation to the shepherds.

Provenance: Pierre Mariette (Lugt 1789). Mariette (1634-1716) was the leading print dealer in Paris, perhaps in the world, in his time, and his brown ink signature or initials on the back of a print, usually accompanied by a date of acquisition, is something of a treasure all in itself. He came from a long line of book sellers and married the widow of François Langlois, the famous dealer and publisher of prints, which greatly expanded the business and brought him both the cream of clients and direct contact with the best print makers. Needless to say, he reserved a great many prints for himself and his descendents, who continued the business until the Mariette sale in 1775.

Franz Rechberger (L. 2133). Rechberger (1771-1843), already discussed, was the conservator of the von Fries collection and that of the Albertina.

Franz Gawet (L. 1069) Gawet (1762 or 65-1847) was an engraver and etcher in Vienna, working mostly in landscape and after designs of Molitor, Weirotter and van Goyen. As a collector, according to Lugt, he put together a great collection of both drawings and prints, well chosen and of beautiful quality. His collection was sold in Vienna in 1844 by Artaria & Co.

A. Artaria (L. 33). August Artaria (1807-1893) was head of the auction house Artaria & Co. in Vienna from 1842 to his death. In addition to his business, he built an important personal collection (the stamp was apparently used only for prints in his personal collection) of prints and drawings by the finest artists, including some 600 fine Rembrandt etchings in various states which were the source for much Rembrandt scholarship then and later. The collection was dispersed in three sales in 1886, 1896 (after his death) and a small remainder in 1904.

Georg (György) Ráth (Lugt 1206) Ráth (1828-1904) was a jurist in Budapest and later President of the Senate of Hungary. He was one of the most important Hungarian collectors, despite the fact that he sold his print collection in 1869 and concerned himself later with paintings, sculpture and antiquities. Much of this latter was left to the founding of a museum under his name. His prints were sold in Vienna, among them many masterpieces by Mantegna, Campagnola, Schongauer, Altdorfer, Hopfer, Dürer, Lucas van Leyden, Goltzius, Rubens, Rembrandt, Nanteuil, Callot and Claude.