River Landscape

River landscape with a town in center field; left three figures, one of them washing and one carrying water.

Etching and engraving, ca. 1559/60, monogrammed in plate at center “L. D. B.”.

From a subject by Constantine Malombra, whose name is stamped at lower left Patavii Costantinus Faciebat.

Very rare engraving, unknown to Bartsch and mentioned only by Nagler and Brulliot. It belongs to a series of river and country landscapes delineated in the style and influence of Titian (1488-1576), printed in Venice c. 1560 and signed through the monograms L.D.B. and D.B.. The subject, as indicated on some of the prints, derives from drawings by the mysterious painter Costantino Malombra, delineated in the Titian style, very similar to that of his pupil Domenico Campagnola (1500-1564).

Nothing is known about Malombra; the few reports concern this series of engravings that attribute the authorship of the subjects to him. Bruillot writes: “Malombra, Constantin, artiste italien, sur lequel nous n'avons pu trouver de renseignemens; car l'histoire de l'art ne parle que de Pierre Malombra, qui est aussi indiqué par Ridolphi et par Lanzi. On trouve les noms ci mentionnés, ou Costante inuenior et Patauli Constantinus faciebat et encore le nom Constantinus Malombra sur différens paysages italiens in-folio et in 1" en largeur, graves par un artiste anonyme qui se désignait par les lettres DBD et L.DB” [Constantino Malombra, an Italian artist, about whom we have been unable to find any information; in fact, art history speaks only of Pietro Malombra, also mentioned by Ridolfi and Lanzi. We find the above-mentioned names, namely Constante inuenior and Patauli Constantinus faciebat and also the name Constantinus Malombra on various Italian landscapes in-folio, engraved by an anonymous artist who signed himself with the letters DBD and L.DB] (cfr. François Brulliot Dictionnaire des monogrammes, marques figurées, lettres initiales, noms abrégés etc. avec lesquels les peintres, dessinateurs, graveurs et sculpteurs ont désigné leurs noms, Volume 3 (1832) p. 39, n. 248).

According to Bruillot, who cites Pierre Mariette (1694-1774), the monogram LDB could refer to Titian's pupil, the Dutch painter Dirck Barendsz (also known as Theodor Barendszoon, 1534-1592): “Selon une note manuscrite de feu Mariette, on trouve les lettres DB sur plusieurs paysages qu'on range à l'œuvre du Titien; il les croit gravés par Dirk (Théodore) Barent ou Barentsen qui avait séjourné long-tems à Venise, et avait été disciple du Titien. Nous connaissons des paysages ainsi marqués et dans ce goût, mais il sont gravés d'après un artiste nommé Constantin Malombra; le graveur de ces paysages se servait encore des lettres LDB desquelles il est parlé plus bas; le nom de Malombra est aussi indiqué par les mots Constanve inventor. Ces paysages appartiennent à une grande suite, dont quelques pièces sont aussi gravées par Etienne Duperac” [According to a manuscript note by the late Mariette, the letters DB are found on several landscapes considered to be the work of Titian; he believes that they were engraved by Dirk (Théodore) Barent or Barentsen who had stayed for a long time in Venice and had been a disciple of Titian. We know landscapes marked in this way and with this taste, but they are engraved by an artist named Constantino Malombra; the engraver of these landscapes still used the letters LDB mentioned below; Malombra's name is also indicated by the words Constanve inventor. These landscapes belong to a large series, some of which were also engraved by Etienne Duperac] (cfr. François Brulliot Dictionnaire des monogrammes, marques figurées, lettres initiales, noms abrégés etc. avec lesquels les peintres, dessinateurs, graveurs et sculpteurs ont désigné leurs noms, Volume 3 (1832) p. 71, n. 562).

Still on Malombra, Nagler expresses himself thus: “Er war vermuthlich Maler, wir fanden aber kein Gemälde von seiner Hand angezeigt. Wenn sich solche finden, so müssen sie in der Composition an Tizian erinnern, da diess auch mit den radirten Blättern der Fall ist, welche der Meister L. D. B. nach seinen Zeichnungen ausgefuhrt hat. Aufeinigen Blättern zeichnete der Künstler wie oben gegeben, auf andern steht: Costan. Der volle Name: Constan. Malombra, kommt selten vor. Dass der Künstler aus Padua stamme, beweiset eine Landschaft mit der Ansicht einer Stadt. Dieses Blatt ist bezeichnet: Patavii Constantinus faciebat” [He was supposedly a painter, but we have not found any paintings by his hand. If any were found, they must recall Titian in their composition, as is also the case with the engraved sheets that master L. D. B. executed after his drawings. On some sheets the artist drew as indicated above, on others it says: Constan. The full name: Constan. Malombra, is rarely used. A landscape with a view of a town shows that the artist was from Padua. This sheet is signed Patavii Constantinus faciebat] (cfr. Nagler, Die Monogrammisten, pp. 186-186).

A drawing, formerly attributed to Costantino Malombra, is now assigned Domenico Campagnola. It is in the collection of the Morgan Library: https://www.themorgan.org/drawings/item/144531

As mentioned, the engraving is of absolute rarity. One example is preserved, together with another subject by the monogrammer LDB, in the collection of the Albertina in Vienna

https://sammlungenonline.albertina.at/?query=search=/record/objectnumbersearch=[It/III/2/102]&showtype=record

Another, along with 2 other engravings by the monogrammer LDB that are described by Nagler, is in the collection of the Staatlichen Graphischen Sammlung München.

https://emp.graphische-sammlung.mwn.de/eMuseumPlus?service=RedirectService&sp=Scollection&sp=SfieldValue&sp=0&sp=0&sp=3&sp=SdetailList&sp=0&sp=Sdetail&sp=0&sp=F

Beautiful proof, printed on contemporaryl laid paper with watermark “anchor in circle with star” (typical Venetian watermark of mid-16th century), with thin margins, minimal oxidation, otherwise in excellent condition.  

Bibliografia

Nagler, Die Monogrammisten, IV.335.1023.1; François Brulliot Dictionnaire des monogrammes, marques figurées, lettres initiales, noms abrégés etc. avec lesquels les peintres, dessinateurs, graveurs et sculpteurs ont désigné leurs noms, Volume 3 (1832) p. 39, n. 248, p. 71, n. 562; VENEDIG La Serenissima, Zeichnung und Druckgraphik aus vier Jahrhunderten Zur Ausstellung der Staatlichen Graphischen Sammlung München in der Pinakothek der Moderne, München, 3. Februar bis 8. Mai 2022, erscheint auch ein von Kurt Zeitler herausgegebener, gleichnamiger Katalog im Deutschen Kunstverlag, p. 96; Nagler, Neues Allgemeines Künstler-lexicon, n. 22.