184 - Nicolaas de Bruyn - The story of the prodigal son (complete) - C.1594

Nicolaas de Bruyn - The story of the prodigal son (complete) - C.1594 Description: A rare complete series of six engravings showing the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Complete sets are seldom encountered on the market; even individual impressions are scarce. The British Museum holds only three impressions from this series. These finely executed, large-format engravings were designed and engraved by Nicolaes de Bruyn (1571-1652) who’s signature appears on the first two plates of the series. The set is dedicated to the Italian renaissance print publisher and dealer Balthasar Camoccio. A Latin dedication by Assuerus van Londerseel praises him as an outstanding patron of the art of engraving: “Balthasar Camoccio artis chalcographicae cultori eximio." An exceptionally rare complete set of one of De Bruyn’s earliest narrative engraving series published by Van Londerseel around 1594. Dimensions: Circa 27,00 x 20,50 cm Condition: Good impressions on large sheets of laid paper with the Arms of Amsterdam watermark, all with wide margins. The sheets retain the faint original central drying folds, caused by the paper being draped over a rope during manufacture and drying, typical for seventeenth-century handmade paper. Literature: New Hollstein (Dutch & Flemish) / The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts 1450-1700 (108-113.II) (Nicolaes de Bruyn) Medium: Engraving Date: Ca. 1594