The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche. 1587

Hendrick Goltzius

1558 Mulbrecht near Venlo – 1617 Haarlem

Engraving from three plates on three sheets, after Bartholomäus Spranger. Sheet size: 44 x 86.2 cm. Watermark: Strasbourg coat of arms fleur-de-lis.

Very good impression before the addresses of Nicolas Vischer and Ludovici Renard. Narrow margins in parts. On the left sheet two old repairs of small tears, otherwise of faultless and untouched preservation. Rarely found in such good condition. A preliminary drawing by Spranger is in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (Inv.no. 2339).

This is the first engraving after Spranger. Because of its size and its wealth of figures it is considered an important early achievement of the art of engraving as reproduction in the circle of the so-called Rudolfine Mannerism.

Bought within the art trade.