Learning Resisting the Passage of Time.

After François-Guillaume Ménageot by Jean-Jacques Avril. Learning Resisting the Passage of Time "L'Étude qui veut Arrêter le Temps." Gravé par Avril, d'après le Tableau, Original, Pient par Mangeot, pour sa Récéption àL'Académie Royale. Paris "chez Avril, Graveur, Rue de Petit Bourbon, no 23 , près St Suplice" c1781
Copper engraving by Avril of Ménageot's painting "L'Étude qui veut Arrêter le Temps." Title and text in French; later hand colour.
The image shows Learning , in a room surrounded by a globe , books and manuscripts engaged, in reading a book pushing away the figure of Time, a winged aged man holding his Scythe aloft; two putti plead with him at his feet. Dark impression; light spotting to blank margins; tiny hole on Time's torso, just below Learning's hand; small lack of engraved area in upper engraved border.
510 by 377mm (20 by 14¾ inches).    €500

The Banquet given by Esther for Ahaseurus and Haman.

After Jean François de Troy by Beauvarlet, Jacques Firmin. Banquet given by Esther for Ahaseurus and Haman. "Repas donne par Esther à Assuérus." Paris Jacques Firmin Beauvarlet. 1775-1784
Black and white copper engraving By Beauvarlet After Jean François de Troy. Plate 6 from a series of seven, depicting the story of Esther, executed 1775-93 after a series of seven cartoons for tapestries designed 1736-42; plate advertised in the 'Journal de Paris', 8 September 1783. Proof before letters
The image shows the banquet given by Esther to Ahasuerus and Haman, a sumptuous scene with the main figures adorned in rich silks, surrounded by numerous attendants. Dark impression; trimmed to plate mark top and sides; attached to card at top; spotting to lower blank margin; damage at lower right where a section of the engraving has been torn and re-laid down [it looks worse in the margin, but could be covered by a mount and would not be so obvious.]
British museum No;1913,1015.122 490 by 620mm (19¼ by 24½ inches).    €500

Spanish Gypsies.

After Mathias Artaria, engraved by Friedrich Weber Spanish Gypsies. "Spanische Zigeuner. Gitanos." Stuttgart Eduard Hallberger. c1850
Copper engraving of a group of Spanish Gypsies by a fountain after the painting by Math. Artaria. Modern hand colour. Lightly toned and soiled; damp stain to upper left corner; plate mark at sides beginning to crack.
400 by 450mm (15¾ by 17¾ inches).    €160

Hagar Received by Abraham.

After Phillip van Dyk, engraved by Jean Massard Hagar received by Abraham. "Agar recue par Abraham." Dediée à la Reine. Paris Jean Massard ,"Tiré du Cabinet de Mr. Servai chez l'Auteur ,rue Ste. Jacinthe, Place St. Michel, " 1785
Black & white copper engraving after the painting by Phillip van Dyck, engraved by Jean Massard, lettered Dediée à la Reinearound a composition with coats of arms of the Bourbons and the Habsburg-Lorraines Title and text in French.
The image shows the young Egyptian slave, naked, with the aged Abraham, in a richly draped bedroom, with Sarah, his wife standing above them, a serene and sad expression on her face; a servant peers around a curtain in the background.
The biblical story of how Sarah, Abraham's wife due to her sterility gives him her Egyptian slave Hagar to lie with to give him an heir is related in Genesis 16: 1-4.
Massard in the etching reproduces a painting entitled Sarah presenting Hagar to Abraham,now in the Louvre, by Philippe van Dyck.
The engraving is dedicated to the queen Marie Antoinette, and it has been suggested that the biblical theme of lack of maternity of Sarah and her marital relations with Abraham, could have been chosen to counter allusions to sexual troubled events of the French royal couple, at the time the subject of numerous satirical pamphlets and pornographic and poisonous gossip at court. The marriage took place in 1770, when the future Louis XVI was still Dauphin of France, and was not, of course, consumed in the first seven years, and Marie Antoinette did not have the first daughter, Maria Teresa Carlotta,until the end of 1778, and will bear the heir to the throne only in October 1781. Good Impression; margins trimmed close to plate mark.
575 by 470mm (22¾ by 18½ inches).    €300

Tobias and the Angel.

After Rembrandt, engraved by J McArdell Tobias with the Angel. "Tobias with the Angel." from the Original in the COLLECTION of Mr Reynolds. London J. McArdell 1742-1765
Black & white Mezzotint by James McArdell after Rembrandt; Laid down to later paper.
Tobias with the Angel; Tobias sitting on riverbank with his dog beside him, the angel kneeling over him; both he and his dog gazing in terror at grotesque fish emerging from the Tigris at right; shepherds and figures crossing bridge in landscape beyond; Lettered with 'signature' as Rembrandt within image.

Tobias and the Angel is the title given to paintings and other artworks depicting a scene in which Tobias, son of Tobit, meets an angel without realising he is an angel (Book of Tobit, 5.5-6) and is then instructed by the angel what to do with a giant fish he catches (Book of Tobit, 6.2-9). Dark impression; trimmed to plate mark and laid down at some time to late [modern?] paper probably to preserve due to the following faults: creasing; upper right corner missing and replaced with later paper and pencil; 3 tears to upper margin [approx 20-30mm] ;long paper fault to sky.
British Museum No:1870,0625.582 [ proof before letters]; Goodwin 214.II; not in Chaloner Smith. 480 by 357mm (19 by 14 inches).    €350

The Meeting of Isaac & Rebecca.

After Robert Smirke, engraved by James Godby. The Meeting of Isaac & Rebekah. "The Meeting of Isaac and Rebekah.// Recontre d'Isaac et de Rebecca." London John Murphy. 1801
Stipple engraving by James Godby after the painting by Robert Smrke of the meeting between Isaac and Rebekah. Modern hand colour.

The image shows Rebekah standing demurely in centre, covering her face with her veil as she is introduced to Isaac standing at right, servants surrounding and camels behind, camp in background at right.

Lettered below image with title in English and French and bible reference, production detail: "R. Smirke pinxit/ J. Murphy excudit/ James Godby sculpsit" [lacks publication line: "London, Published Octr. 1st. 1801 by John Murphy No. 19 Howland Street, Fitzroy Square"} Good impression; trimmed to plate mark , shaving off publication line; olded just right of centre [ from being bound?]; some spotting and offsetting to title; modern hand colour.
British Museum No:1953,0214.46 471 by 590mm (18½ by 23¼ inches).    €250

Innocence Recognized.

After Schall by A. Legrande [le Grande]. Innocence Recognized. "L'innocence Reconnue." Paris "chez Depuille, Md. d'Estampes, Rue St Denis no 52 Section de Bon Conseil." C1790-1800
Black and white copper & stipple engraving of a scene from the legend of Genevieve of Brabant by Augustin Legearde after Schall. Title in French
The image shows Genevieve of Brabant with her son discovered by her husband Siegfried whilst out hunting with a wounded deer at her feet.

The Genevieve tale first obtained wide popularity in L'Innocence reconnue, ou vie de Sainte Genevieve de Brabant(pr. 1638) by the Jesuit René de Cerisiers (1603–1662).
The story is a typical example of the widespread tale of the chaste wife falsely accused and repudiated, generally on the word of a rejected suitor. Genevieve of Brabant was said to be the wife of the palatine Siegfried of Treves, and was falsely accused by the majordomo Golo. Sentenced to death, she was spared by the executioner and lived for six years with her son in a cave in the Ardennes nourished by a roe. Siegfried, who had meanwhile found out Golo's treachery, was chasing the roe when he discovered her hiding-place, and reinstated her in her former honour. Dark impression; light toning; trimmed to plate mark ; short tears to upper and lower margins, one longer ( approx 70mm )entering image at upper margin.
520 by 615mm (20½ by 24¼ inches).    €450