Nighttime raft fishing

Fishing by Night; in the right foreground, a couple and a child, viewed from behind, watch as three boys, two with barge poles, and two other figures float on a raft illuminated with lanterns; one boy collects the fish that have jumped onto the raft, attracted by the light; two figures are seen before a building to the right, while a town is visible in distance.

Signed 'Ioan. Stradanus / invent. / Phls Galle excud.' Plate numbered 101 in margin, at left. Lettered below image: Latin text arranged in two columns, 'Ludicra piscandi...decipit astu.'

Engraving, circa 1596.

From the "Venationes Ferarum, Avium, Piscium", after Jan van der Straet called Stradano or Stradanus, published by Philip Galle.

Once back in Antwerp, after a long trip to Italy, Stradano met Philip Galle, former pupil of Hieronumus Cock, who had recentely devouted himself to the art of printing. They planned together the realization of hunting subjects, inspired by the tapestry of the Villa in Poggio a Caiano. At the beginning, Galle realized a series of engravings without numbers, to which a second edition followed, with title page and 44 numbered plates. The sudden fame of his work convinced the printer to go on with his cooperation with Stradano, who realized new drawings with uncommon and exotic hunting subjects.

The new series was published first separately, then together with the first edition, forming a wide series of 104 plates, named Venationes Ferarum, Avium, Piscium, Pugnae. This work can be dated between 1578 (on the front page) and 1596. As for the tapestry of the Villa in Poggio a Caiano, the work is divided in three wide categories: terrestrial, air and water animals. At the beginning the hunting scenes have been engraved by Philip Galle himself, who then hired other members of his family and other assistants, among which Adriaen and Jan Collaert, Theodor and Cornelis Galle and Carolus de Mallery.

Magnificent work, printed on contemporary laid paper, trimmed to the platemark, in good condition.

Bibliografia

New Hollstein (Dutch & Flemish) / The New Hollstein: Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings and woodcuts 1450-1700 (526.II); Baroni Vannucci 1997 / Jan van der Straet, detto Giovanni Stradano, flandrus pictor et inventor (693.101).