Antique Master Print-THREE GRACES-CHARITES-NATURE-FERTILITY-Michel-Rubens-1783

Original antique master print, titled: ‘The Three Graces commonly called Rubens’s Three Wives’. It shows the three graces picking fruit from a tree. A putti is helping them. A large store of various fruit (pumpkin, grapes, plums and artichoke, among others) is already at their feet. The Graces (or Charites) were greek goddesses of charm, beauty, nature and fertility. Clearly this print depicts the aspects nature and fertility.

Made by Jean Baptiste Michel after Peter Paul Rubens.

Medium: line and stipple engraving with hand colouring on hand laid (verge) paper.

Sheet size: 42 x 53 cm (16.54 x 20.87 inch). Image size: 39 x 49.5 cm. (15.35 x 19.49 inch).

Condition: good, given age. The edges heavily restored, but the image is actually good. Cropped to the image (bottom edge cropped to the title), extended with modern paper. The image itself in very good condition. General age-related toning and/or occasional minor defects from handling. Please study scan carefully.

THREE GRACES-CHARITES-NATURE-FERTILITY | DP-B1-35

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Original antique master print, published by John Boydell, in 1783. Our definition of a Master Print is a seperately published print or series of prints, not being an illustrative print to a text. These can both be prints made by old masters (artists) or prints made by others (artists, engravers, etchers) after old masters. Artists and Engravers: Engraved by Michel after a painting by Rubens.

Biography engraver: Jean Baptiste Michel (1748-1804) was a French engraver born in Paris in 1738 or 1748, studied in that city under Pierre Chenu (1718 – 1780), who had also worked for Boydell. Michel moved to London about 1780 and specialized in engravings combining line and stipple techniques.

Biography artist: Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) was a Flemish painter, who ran a large studio in Antwerp.