Sadeler Johannes - Malchus of Chalcis as Hermit - Etching on copper (16th Century)
Lot 78 · Auction 05 - Old Master Prints and Maps · 15 April 2025
Estimate: £300 - £400
Malchus of Chalcis as hermit is a beautiful black and white etching on copper on ivory-colored paper, realized at the end of the XVI century by the Flemish artist Joan or Johannes Sadeler (Brussels, 1550 - Venice, 1600).
Signed on plate " Sadel. exc. " on the lower right corner. With a long inscription on plate on the lower margin: " Acta prius fuerat sui vita monastica, Malchus, A Saracenis captus, ouile regit. Prefectuso gregi curat pecus; hinc precunte Numine, coenobij tecta adamata subit ".
In excellent conditions, except for a minor stain on the higher left corner and a usual yellowing of the paper due to its age. A beautiful wooden frame is included (25.4 x 1 x 29.3 cm).
This old master's original print, with a lifetime impression and showing all the mastery of this artistic technique, tells the story of the Catholic Syrian saint Malchus of Chalcis .