PETER PAUL RUBENS
Siegen, Westphalia 1577 – 1640 Antwerp
Though Rubens personally only etched a single plate, he was very involved with printmaking, recognizing the potential for disseminating his designs to a wider public.
He employed several engravers who worked from drawings he made specifically for that purpose and obtained his own publishing privilege in 1619.
It may have been Balthasar Moretus, owner of the Plantin-Moretus printing house in Antwerp, and a friend of Rubens, who introduced the painter to CHRISTOFFEL JEGHER (Antwerp 1596 – 1652).
Jegher became a member of the artists’ Guild of St Luke at Antwerp in 1628 and worked at the Plantin press.
From about 1632-36 Jegher worked in close collaboration with Rubens to produce 9 powerful woodcuts.
These established Jegher’s reputation as a wood engraver.
After the death of Rubens in 1640 Jegher would purchase the blocks, remove Rubens’ Cum Privilegiis and reissue the images.
The Temptation of Christ by the Devil
Hollstein 6 ii/iii
325 x 435 mm
Woodcut, cut by Christoffel Jegher to the design of Rubens, early 1630’s.
The block signed within the image with Jegher’s monogram, the initials C.I. beside a knife.
Lettered in the lower border with Rubens’ and Jegher’s names.
Second state of three, with Rubens’ privilege, as published by Rubens himself. (The first state is known only in a unique touched proof with corrections by Rubens. )
Narrow margins all round, a short supported tear at the top right corner, other small defects.
Sold
Both the gospels of Matthew and Luke (each 4:2-4) tell of the temptation of Christ, in very similar words.
After fasting forty days in the wilderness
…the tempter came to him. He said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones
be made bread.
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
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