Brueghel, Bruegel, Pieter Engraving, Hope, Virtues Start Price USD 15,000.00 Current Price USD 15,000.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Tuesday, July 08, 2008 End Time Friday, July 18, 2008 Location Masterworks Fine Art, Oakland Hills, CA See more about 'Brueghel, Bruegel, Pieter Engraving, Hope, Virtues' Description --> home current inventory search art knowledge art commentary buy art about us contact us Title: Hope from The World of Seven Virtues, c.1560 Artist: Brueghel the Elder, Pieter Medium: Original Engraving Image Size: 11 3/8 in x 8 3/4 in (28.9 cm x 22.2 cm) Sheet Size: 11 3/8 in x 8 3/4 in (28.9 cm x 22.2 cm) Framed Size: 28 3/4 in x 26 1/8 in (73 cm x 66.4 cm) Signature: The signature of Bruegel is inscribed in cartouche in the lower left: 'BRVGEL. INV.' With 'H. cock excu.' in cartouche in the lower right Edition: A lifetime impression from the only state of two by Philips Galle based on an original work by Pieter Bruegel Condition: This work is in excellent condition, a rich and very dark impression    Description:Taken from Bruegel’s series of “The World of Seven Virtues,” Hope is personified here as the unshakeable figure amidst a sea of torment and a world of despair.  She stands courageously, looking on, with a beehive atop her head, a scythe in one hand, and a shovel in the other.  These three tools symbolize some of the most dangerous professions of men and those who are in need of Hope the most.   According to H. Arthur Klein: “At first sight this print may seem an instance of bitter irony: Hope stands blandly, calmly, holding her symbols, while behind her men suffer all manner of catastrophe, loss, and misery.  Yet it is clear that to Bruegel and the ethical point of view he represented graphically, Hope was what gave men strength to hang on somehow ‘amid so many nearly insupportable woes.’  One hopes that despite the disaster one will come through somehow.  Without the woe – imminent or eventuated – what would be the meaning of hope?  There has to be something one hopes to overcome or survive or get away from” (p. 122) . Created c. 1560, Hope features the following inscription in the lower margin: IVCVNDISSIMA EST SPEI PERSVASIO, ET VITAE IMPRIMIS NECESSARIA, INTER TOT AERVMNAS PENQ INTOLERABILES (The assurance that hope gives us is most pleasant and most essential to an existence amid so many nearly insupportable woes) . The signature of Bruegel is inscribed in cartouche in the lower left: ‘BRVGEL. INV.’ With ‘H. cock excu.’ in cartouche in the lower right.  The latin, SPES (Hope) is also inscribed in cartouche in the lower center.  A lifetime impression from the only state of two by Philips Galle based on an original work by Pieter Bruegel featuring the inscribed text plate along the lower margin on watermarked paper dating the piece to c. 1559 – 1591 (Gothic P with Flower, Br. 8715 - 8723) . Catalogue Raisonné & COA:It is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work) :    1. Bastelaer, René van. The Prints of Peter Bruegel the Elder, Catalogue Raisonné New Edition, Alan Wofsy Fine Arts: San Francisco, 1992.  Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 133 on pgs. 176-7.    2. Briquet, C.M. Les Filigranes, Dictionnaire Historique des Marques du Papier, Tome III L-O. Verlag: Leipzig, 1923. Watermark listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 8715 – 8723 on pg. 468.    3. Klein, H. Arthur. Graphic Worlds of Peter Bruegel the Elder, Dover Publications: New York, 1963.  Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 49 on pgs. 122-3.    4. Orenstein, Nadine M., ed. for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Pieter Bruegel the Elder: Drawings and Prints, Yale University Press: New Haven, 2001.  Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné nos. 70-1 on pgs. 184-5.    5. Sellink, M. Pieter Bruegel: The Complete Paintings, Drawings and Prints. Ludion: NY, 2007. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 88 on pg. 146. Detail on preparatory drawing for Hope is listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. 81 on pg. 139. About the Framing:Set in a Spanish style bronze and gold frame, the ribbon detailing of the moulding compliments the meandering curved shapes within the image.  Decorative detail echo acanthus leaves which evoke a classical aura to the work.  Completed with white, linen-wrapped mats with a matching gold inner fillet, Hope is set behind an archival Plexiglas® cover. Who is Masterworks Fine Art? Masterworks Fine Art, Inc. strives to be the best source of fine art for our clients and collectors all over the world. We believe the most direct way to accomplish this is by establishing a lifetime of personal and professional relationships with our clients. We are a full service art gallery, selling fine art originals at 25-50% off gallery retail prices. We have been collecting art since the early 1970's and have been dealing and selling art for over 20 years. We have been awarded the eBay Power Sellers Award, and we have over positive comments on our eBay rating feedback sheet. We have achieved a perfect 100% positive feedback from our clients. Please feel free to call us at 800-805-7060 or 510-777-9970 with any questions you may have. You can also email us at alex@masterworksfineart.com. For more information, please visit our ABOUT US PAGE. Questions About Buying If you are concerned about dealing with someone sight unseen we can offer the following to help reassure you. We are bonded sellers through BuySAFE. BuySAFE backs every transaction with a surety bond, which guarantees that if Masterworksfineart does not meet the terms of sale, you can get a refund up to $25,000. Click on our BuySAFE seal at the top of this listing to verify details and to see our 10 point guarantee. We are also members of PESA - Professional Ebay Sellers Allaince. The Professional eBay Sellers Alliance (PESA) is a non-profit trade association comprised of the largest and most highly-regarded merchants, quantitatively and qualitatively, across all categories on eBay. 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