E.11 Twins of Catania

E.11 Boyvin, Twins of Catania, III?

Engraving by René Boyvin, 31.3 x 43 L, including lower margin of 2.8 (Florence).

Three states:

I.  Inscribed in the margin below, at the left: ROVS . FLORENT . INVENT . ; in the middle: HOC PIETATIS OPVS / Neglectis opibus cum munere fortis iniguae, / Baiulat haec Matrem, Baiulat ille patrem.; at the right: Renatus . B . Andegauensis . Faciebat. / Luticiae Parisiorum. /. . B ..  Late impressions of this state show at the upper right of the image dark spots resulting from the oxidation of the plate.  Robert-Dumesnil considers impressions with these spots but without the inscription added in State II as constituting a State III with that inscription removed.  But there are no remaining traces of that inscription on any impressions that I have seen to indicate its removal, while there is a later state with it and with another inscription.  So it is likely that Robert-Dumesnil was wrong.

II.  With the additional inscription in the margin at the lower right: Aug. Quesnel excud.

III.  The Quesnel inscription removed (see Le Blanc as State III), and a monogram composed, it seems, of C and F in the lower right corner (Vienna).

IV.  Also inscribed at the lower left of the image: Fr. Marzot excud.  The oxidation spots have been partly rubbed out.

Fig.E.11 (State III?, Vienna, It.II.21, p.96)

Robert-Dumesnil, VIII, 1850, 25-26, no. 17, as Boyvin after Rosso.  Le Blanc, 1854-1890, I, 567, 178 (States I-III).  Herbet, III, 1899, 35, (1959, 123), R.D. 17, as Boyvin.  Levron, 1941, 65, no. 8, as Boyvin after Rosso.

COLLECTIONS: Berlin, 836-53 (I, damaged); 837-53 (III).  Boston, 727 (I).  Florence, 7945ss (I, with oxidation).  London, 1850-5-27-119 (II).  Los Angeles (Ruiz).  New York, 28.91.27 (I).  New York, formerly Lucien Goldschmidt, Cat. 31, no. 6 (with oxidation and with lower margin cut off).  Oxford (I).  Paris, Ba 12 (I, with oxidation); Ed 3 (I, II).  Paris, Ensba.  Vienna, It.II.21, p.96 (III?); F.I.3, p.8, no. 14 (I, with oxidation).

LITERATURE:

Mariette, Abécédario, 1858-1859, 22, as Boyvin after Rosso.

Destailleur, 1895, 277, no. 1146, two impressions, one State III.

Kusenberg, 1931, 161, as Boyvin after Rosso.

Linzeler, 1932, 169, as Boyvin after Rosso.

De Witt, 1938, 136.  School of Fontainebleau, Fort Worth, 1965, 47, 39, Fig. (Boston).

Borea, 1980, 261, no. 663.

K. Wilson-Chevalier, in Fontainebleau, 1985, 228-230, no. 176 (Private Collection), as Boyvin after Rosso.

Carroll, 1987, 37, 44, 256-259, no. 80, with Fig. (London).  Davis, 1988, 205, Fig. (Los Angeles).

Brugerolles and Guillet, 1994, 46, Fig., under no. 17 (Paris, Ensba).

Acton, in French Renaissance, 1994, 307, n. 13, under no. 73.

The engraving is specifically based upon a drawing in Amsterdam (Fig.D.60) that is a copy of a lost drawing of 1535 or 1536 by Rosso for his fresco in the Gallery of Francis I (Fig.P.22, V N a).  The print is in reverse of the fresco and the drawing.

Levron, 1941, 18, suggested that the engraving was made in 1550-1555, partly at least because it bears Boyvin’s full name as well as his monogram.  The drawing in Amsterdam could be by him, but it could also be by someone in his shop who provided such disegni di stampe.

COPIES: ENAMELS: Pierre Reymond.  One of five enamels of a small casket, formerly Charles Mannheim Collection, Paris.  Mentioned in Herbet, IV, 1900, 327 (177), n. 1, and Herbet, V, 1902, 81 (233), under no. 33, as related to Fantuzzi’s [here Anonymous, E.142] and Boyvin’s prints, and as exhibited at the Exposition universelle of 1900, and by Clare Vincent, in Liechtenstein, 1985, 221, under no. 141, with reference to Emile Molinier, Collection Charles Mannheim: objets d’art, Paris, 1898, 49, no. 179, Fig. 179.  This enamel has not been located to verify and specify Herbet’s remark.  The enamel could be after either print or after a drawing that may or may not have been the direct model for one of the prints.

Limoges, Musée municipal.  Mentioned by Béguin and Pressouyre, 1972, 134, and Clare Vincent, in Liechtenstein, 1985, 221, under no. 141.  I have not seen this enamel.