1721 Copper Engraving Portrait Charles IX Sweden Duke Protestant Thirty EUM2

This is an original 1721 black and white copper engraving of "Carolus, Koenig in Schweden." This is a portrait of Charles IX of Sweden, the son of King Gustav I of Sweden and Margaret Leijonhufvud, his second wife. Charles IX (1604Ð1611) took his number according to a fictitious history of Sweden, thus in actuality he was the third Swedish King named Charles. Set against an etched background, the portrait is surrounded by a wonderful decorative motif mimicking classical architecture. The design features two cherubs in flight; they are suspended, extending a ribbon around a botanical design and a circular relief portrait that rests upon the top of two Corinthian columns. The base of the structure supporting the columns features a decorative frieze relating to the botanical design seen at the top of the print. This piece is accompanied by the original German biographical text printed on a separate sheet and features a decorative drop cap; an exquisite vignette that, irrespective of the subject's ties to Sweden, incorporates the heraldic, two-headed Quarter Eagle and the Crown of the Austrian Empire; and a beautiful tailpiece of three figures within an ornate botanical design, holding respectively an anchor, cross, and scepter.

CONDITION

This 290+ year old Item is rated Near Mint / Very Fine. Light foxing and aging. No creases. No natural defects.No surface rub.No tears. No water damage. Please note: There is a plate impression bordering the image in this print and there is light offsetting from the facing page on the accompanying text print.

• Product Type: Original Copper Engraving; Black / White
• Grade: Near Mint / Very Fine
• Dimensions: Approximately 8.5 x 13.5 inches; 22 x 34 cm
• Authentication: Serial-Numbered Certificate of Authenticity w/ Full Provenance
• Protection: Packaged in a custom archival sleeve with an acid-free black board (great for display, gift-giving, and preservation)

Period Paper is pleased to offer an extremely rare and impressive early eighteenth century collection of biographies and portrait engravings and etchings, produced in Leipzig, Germany in 1721 and 1722. Included are notable monarchs, rulers, religious figures, and members of notable Houses throughout Europe, including several genealogical charts of dynastic lines, spanning the sixteenth to early eighteenth centuries. The collection is comprised of exquisitely engraved and etched copper portrait plates framed by varying decorative motifs, all engraved by Johann Friedrich Rosbach. Many of the portraits include separate biographical pieces ranging in length from a single paragraph to several pages for more notable European monarchs and emperors. If present, the accompanying text is in German and is composed of beautiful woodcut text, with most pages containing elegantly etched drop cap initials, head-and tail-pieces and vignettes. The superb, folio-sized stock upon which the collection is engraved and etched employed the latest advances in eighteenth century paper making and highlights the era's predilection for strong, lightly sized paper with a fine structure and smooth surface. The paper's characteristics are thus similar to Japanese Gampi, and the result is well-preserved and crisp images that exceptionally capture Rosbach's fluid and sharp line work. This collection represents a unique opportunity to collect a valuable part of European history stunningly composed and illustrated.

Keywords specific to this image: Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Empire, Habsburg Dynasty, Habsburg Monarchy, Austrian Monarchy, Neck Ruff, Costume, European Nobility, European Royalty, European History, English Monarchy, Catholic Counter-Reformation, Catholic Reformation, Catholic Revival, Art, Armor

EUM2C21