Fortitude ('Fortitudo'), from: The Seven Virtues

Details

PHILIPS GALLE (1537-1612) AFTER PIETER BRUEGEL THE ELDER (CIRCA 1525-1569)
Fortitude ('Fortitudo'), from: The Seven Virtues
engraving, 1560, on laid paper, watermark Hand with Letters surmounted by a Flower (this variant not in Briquet nor Heawood), a fine impression of the first state (of two), published by Hieronymus Cock, Antwerp, trimmed to or just outside the borderline, retaining a fillet of blank paper outside of the borderline on three sides, otherwise in good condition
Sheet 222 x 287 mm.

Literature

Bastelaer, Hollstein 137; Lari 132; New Hollstein (Bruegel) 18; New Hollstein (Galle) 314
J. van Grieken, G. Luijten, J. van der Stock, Hieronymous Cock - The Renaissance in Print, New Haven & London, 2013, no. 54.5.
M. Bass & E. Wyckoff, Beyond Bosch - The Afterlife of a Renaissance Master, Saint Louis Art Museum & Harvard University Art Museums, 2015-2016, no. 16a, p. 147.
M. Bassens & J. van Grieken, Bruegel - The Complete Graphic Works, Brussels, 2019, no. 13f.

Exhibited

M. Bass & E. Wyckoff, Beyond Bosch - The Afterlife of a Renaissance Master, Saint Louis Art Museum & Harvard University Art Museums, 2015-2016, cat. 16a., p. 147.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Stefano Franceschi Specialist

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Lot Essay

The preparatory drawing for this engraving, dated 1559 and signed by Bruegel, is in the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam (inv. 189).

Maarten Bassens, who is currently preparing a new catalogue raisonné of prints after Bruegel, considers this an impression of the only state. The formerly described "second" state is a reworked first state in pen and brown ink.
We are grateful to Mr Bassens for this information.

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