Cinyras & Myrrha
8 3/4 by 13 1/4 inches
JLP218 $45
These fine and imaginative original copper engravings are some of the most beautiful and fanciful ever produced. They are the work of Jean Le Pautre, whom the Getty Museum calls “the most important and imaginative ornament engraver of the seventeenth century.”
In his work we can see the whole range of decorative art the French has given the world, from the ornate Louis XIV style, to the flourishes and swirls of the Art Nouveau movement. During his lifetime, his artistic output was prolific, with over 1500 designs for architecture, gardens, furniture, portraits, and many other decorative elements. Le Pautre published some of these designs during his lifetime, but it was not until after his death that the definitive work was published by Jobert in 1751.
The scale and diversity of his designs is breathtaking and he is widely collected by museums all over the world, including the Getty & the Cleveland Museum & Winterthur in the US. It is with great pleasure that we present this diverse sampling of Le Pautre’s work. The prints are strong engravings on fine, thin, chain lined paper with watermarks typical of the mid 1700s and sizes vary. There is an occasional marginal defect, but in all, they are in splendid condition for prints that are nearly 275 years old.
