17th century French prints from the Newbattle Abbey album

One does not often see a group of 24 prints appearing on the market in the original condition in which they were issued in mid-17th century France. Many of the etchings and engravings are in first states and are unusual and rare impressions. Most, if not all of them have full margins and the printing is rich and deep as though untouched by the passing of time. Representing bacchanal and dyonisiac subjects along with other mythological scenes, the prints are mainly by French 17th century artists, except for the Italian Stefano della Bella, whose French connections and presence in Paris since 1639 are well known, and the German artist Johann Christophorus Storer.

Bacchanal subjects were particularly successful in the Parisian atelier of Simon Vouet and are well represented in the display with rare prints by Nicolas Chaperon and Michel Dorigny, including both individual and collaborative works such as the series Recueil de Diverses Baccanalles de Poussin, Chappron, D’origny, et autres. Chaperon formed part of Vouet’s entourage in the 1630s before joining Poussin in Rome in 1640s, whereas Dorigny joined Vouet’s atelier in 1637-38. Dorigny was not only one of Vouet’s most important painters and collaborators, but also a prolific engraver on his own. Several important prints after paintings by Nicolas Poussin, Jacques Blanchard, Laurent de la Hyre, Domenichino and Jusepe de Ribera complete the exhibition.

Provenance:

The prints come all from a broken-up larger folio album, which was part of the library of the Newbattle Abbey in Scotland possibly since the second half of the 17th century until 2018. It is very likely that many of the prints previously belonged to Pierre Dupont (1560/1570 – 1640), Tapissier du Roi to Henry IV and Louis XIII, and were used in his workshop providing models for tapestries.

The presence of several watermarks on the album sheets might suggest that the album was assembled in England in the second half of the 17th century.

Storer, Johann Christophorus
Bacchus stroking a leopard
Etching.
Size of sheet: c. 29.7 x 34.8 cm.

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Mellan, after, Claude
Perseus Delivering Andromeda
Engraving.
Size of sheet: c. 20 x 24 cm.

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de Ribera, after, Jusepe
Drunken Silenus
Etching and engraving.
Size of sheet: 27.5 x 35.1 cm.

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Dorigny, Michel
Drunken Silenus being carried by Satyrs and playing putti
Etching after Nicolas Chaperon (1612-1654/5).
Size of sheet: c. 24.8 x 36.4 cm.

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Dorigny, Michel
Bacchanal
Etching and engraving.
Size of sheet: c. 31.8 x 30.4 cm.

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Dorigny, Michel and Nicolas Cochin
Title page of the "Recueil de Diverses Baccanalles de Poussin, Chappron, D’origny, et autres"
Two etchings and engravings after Nicolas Chaperon (?) (1612-1654/5).
Size of plates: 18.4 x 16.3 cm; 7.8 x 16.2 cm. Size of sheet: c. 27.6 x 26 cm.

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Dorigny, Michel
Bacchanal with satyr and nymph carrying a big ewer
Etching and engraving.
Size of sheet: c. 31 x 30 cm.

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d'Avice, Henry
Five putti playing with fruits and butterflies
Etching after Nicolas Poussin (1594 - 1665).
Size of plate: 23.8 x 16.7 cm. Size of sheet: c. 25.8 x 26.7 cm.

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