Passio Verbigenae quae nostra Redeptio Christi, nos dvcit ad svmmi tecta paterna poli … [La Passion du Christ].

SADELER, Jan / GEERAERTS, Marc.

Published by S.l.n.d. [Antwerp, 1570-1580]. 1570-1580, 1570

About this Item

First state of the 12 engravings composing this rare Passion.Superb suite engraved by Jan Sadeler (1550-1600) after Marcus Geeraerts the Elder (1530-1590) in oval medallions, in which the characters, with an extreme delicacy of execution, are included in an abundant grotesque setting.They were executed by Queen Elisabeth of England?s painter, Marcus Geeraerts the Elder, born in Bruges around 1530.Painter and engraver, he studied with his father, Egbert Gérards, in the Bruges? guild in 1558, then with Martin de Vos. In 1571, he was Queen Elisabeth of England?s painter.The 12 plates depict the Last Supper, the Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Arrest of Christ, Christ taken by the soldiers, Christ in front of Pilate, Christ insulted by the soldiers, the bearing of the Cross, Christ undressed by the soldiers, the Crucifixion, the Deposition of Christ and the burial of Christ, the Harrowing of Hell, the Resurrection.Among the 4 copies that we could locate in public collections, those preserved in the National Gallery of Art of Washington, in the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam and in the central Library of Zurich enclose a title-page and 13 plates (the extra one depicts the Flagellation of Christ) whereas the one in the British Museum encloses 12 plates. As for the only copy that appeared on the public market since the beginning of the reports, it was sold as complete by Christie?s on November 29th, 1991 (Manhattan College Rare book collection) and enclosed a title-page and 12 plates.A masterpiece of engraving in the end of the 16th century.A handwritten note on the endleaf mentions « Suite fort rare, épreuves du 1er état (Very rare suite, prints from the first state)».Références: Hollstein, F W H, Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts, 87-99; Hollstein, Dutch & Flemish, vol. XXI, S. 114, Nr. 207; Hollstein, Dutch & Flemish, vol. XXII, S. 124, Nr. 207; Hollstein, Dutch & Flemish, vol. VII, S. 102, Nr. 87-99; Thieme-Becker, vol. XIII, M. Geeraerts. Seller Inventory # LCS-18233

Bibliographic Details

Title: Passio Verbigenae quae nostra Redeptio ...

Publisher: S.l.n.d. [Antwerp, 1570-1580]. 1570-1580

Publication Date: 1570

Binding: Couverture rigide

Condition: Très bon