1721 Copper Engraving Portrait Andrew Bathory Prince Transylvania Cardinal EUM3

This is an original 1721 black and white copper engraving of "Andreas Bathori." This is a portrait of Andrew Báthory, Prince of Transylvania, Prince-Bishop of Warmia, Hungarian Roman Catholic Cardinal, and Grand Master of the Order of the Dragon, a monarchical chivalric order for selected nobility. Structured after the military orders of the Crusades, the Order of the Dragon required its members to defend the Cross, fighting the enemies of Christianity, especially the Ottoman Turks. The portrait is surrounded by a wonderful decorative motif mimicking a frame set against an etched background. The design features a subtly ornate frame with two sets of drapes resting atop a base with a decorative broach-like oval framed by two additional cherubs draped in a botanical design. 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 two-headed Quarter Eagle and the Crown of the Austrian Empire; and a beautiful tailpiece of an ornate botanical design.

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. Please also note: the foxing appearing in the digital image is not as dark or apparent on the original piece.

• 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.

This piece was illustrated by Rosbach, Johann Friedrich .

Keywords specific to this image: Long War, Thirteen Years War, Fifteen Years War, Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Empire, Habsburg Dynasty, Habsburg Monarchy, Austrian Monarchy, Thirty Years' War, Protestant, Catholic Counter-Reformation, Catholic Reformation, Catholic Revival, European Nobility, European Royalty, European History, Hungarian History, Hungarian Royalty, Ottoman Empire, Turkish Empire

EUM3C21 zz10000