51 - Virgil Solis (1514–1562) – Woman with Chains in a Landscape

Virgil Solis (1514–1562) – Woman with Chains in a Landscape Description: A finely engraved allegorical scene showing a richly dressed woman holding chains, accompanied by a man carrying a staff, set within an extensive wooded landscape with ruins, a river and distant buildings. The print bears the characteristic intertwined VS monogram within the landscape and is inscribed in the lower margin: “LIBERES INDIGNAS FAC NE MEREARE CATENAS” (“Free the unworthy, lest you yourself deserve chains”). A characteristic example of the small-format engravings of the prolific Nuremberg printmaker Virgil Solis, combining an elegant figural subject with a remarkably elaborate landscape on a miniature scale. Engraving, c. 1550–1562. Bartsch 221. A Dimensions: 5,10 x 8,50 cm Condition: A very good impression on laid paper, trimmed on or just outside the borderline, with a narrow margin below including the complete Latin text. A few minor handling creases and some light traces of age, otherwise in very good condition. Literature: Bartsch 221. A Medium: Engraving Date: 1550-1562