Diana, Artemis Preparing for the Hunt

After: Charles de Lafosse Pierre Etienne Moitte Preparations for the Hunt. "Préparatifs pour la chasse" Dresden: Georges Conrad Walther, 1740-1754
Black & white copper engraving of Diana- Artemis preparing for the hunt, from the Recueil d'estampes Gravées of aprez les tableaux et de la Galerie du Cabinet de SE Mr le comte de Bruhl ...[ Plate 32], engraved by Pierre Etienne Moitte after the painting by Charles de Lafosse.
Insribed below the image the producers' names, title, verses on either site of Bruhl's coat of arms ('Que viens-tu faire ici... J'attrape souvent la plus fine'), and dimensions and provenance of original painting (collection of Comte de Bruhl).

The image shows Artemis-Diana and her nymphs resting in a landscape, one of the nymphs is helping the goddess to put on her sandals, while another pours the content of a small vase over her head
According to the Homeric account and Hesiod (Theog. 918) Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto She was the sister of Apollo, and born with him at the same time in the island of Delos. One of the great divinities of the Greeks. Her name is usually derived from artemês, uninjured, healthy, vigorous; according to which she would be the goddess who is herself inviolate and vigorous, and also grants strength and health to others.
The representations of the Greek
Artemis in works of art are different accordingly as she is represented either as a huntress, or as the goddess of the moon; yet in either case she appears as a youthful and vigorous divinity, as becomes the sister of Apollo. As the huntress, she is tall, nimble, and has small hips; her forehead is high, her eyes glancing freely about, and her hair tied up behind in such a manner, that some locks float down her neck; her breast is covered, and the legs up to the knees are naked, the rest being covered by the chlamys. Her attributes are the bow, quiver, and arrows, or a spear, stags, and dogs. As the goddess of the moon, she wears a long robe which reaches down to her feet, a veil covers her head, and above her forehead rises the crescent of the moon. In her hand she often appears holding a torch. Dark impression; centre fold; clean and bright; large paper; wide margins.
British Museum no:1850,0810.428 Le Blanc 43 380 by 497mm (15 by 19½ inches).    €750

Persephone 's Offerings to Demeter.

Jacques Firmin Beauvarlet after Joseph-Marie Vien. Offerings to Ceres. "Offrande a Cerès" Paris. Jacques Firmin Beauvarlet. c1763.
Copper engraving by Beauvarlet of Persephone decorating a statue of her mother Demeter [ Ceres] after the painting by Joseph-Marie Vien exhibited at the Paris salon in 1763 entitled Proserpine orne de Fleurs le buste de Cérès sa mere. On a pris le moment qui précede celui où elle fut enlevée par Pluton
Later hand colour. [The engraving is a reversed image of the painting]. Generally bright and clean; minor dampstain to upper left corner, far from image; laid to card.
Thomas Gaehtgens, Jacques Lugand, Joseph-Marie Vien, Arthéna, 1988, p. XIII, notice w7050 452 by 310mm (17¾ by 12¼ inches).    €750

The Abduction of Oreithyia.

Moreau, Jean Michel, le Jeune, The Abduction of Oreithyia by Boreas. "L'Enlèvement d'Orythie par Borée." Paris "chez l'Auteur, rue de Cloitre St. Benoit No 8.." c.1770
Large copper engraved depiction of the abduction of Oreithyia by Jean Michel Moreau, la Jeune. Black and white, verso blank.
One of a suite of 2 prints by the prolific engraver Moreau le Jeune, (the other depicting Pygmaleon.} The image shows the winged Borreas carrying Oreithyia in his arms, into the clouds with Eros looking on. Surrounded by an engraved border.
OREITHYIA was was a mountain Nymph, daughter of Erechtheus and Praxithea, abducted by boreas, the north wind, WHEN SHE STRAYED beyond the river ilissus, NEAR aTHENS. HE CARRIED HER BACK TO Mount Haemus in ThraCe WHERE SHE BECAME HIS IMMORTAL WIFE AND GODDESS OF CHILL MOUNTAIN WINDS. ONE OF THEIR DAUGHTERS WAS kHIONE (SNOW).
Pausanias, Description of Greece 3. 15. 2 :
"While Orithyia was playing by the ILissos river, Boreas carried her off and had intercourse with her; and she bore daughters, Kleopatra and Khione, and winged sons, Zetes and Kalais." Dark impression; clean and bright.
Bocher;p79; no 205 575 by 420mm (22¾ by 16½ inches).    €850