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a black and white drawing of a woman carrying a crossan old black and white drawing of a group of people in a framean image of a drawing of an angel and a group of peoplean image of a drawing of a group of women standing around a mana black and white drawing of a group of people in a cavea drawing of two women standing next to each othera black and white drawing of a woman in a dressa black and white drawing of a boat in the watera drawing of a man standing on a hill with a dogportrait of a man in a suit and tie with a tie around his neckan old drawing of a man holding a cat in his handa drawing of a bird sitting on a window sill
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18 - Jacques BELLANGE (1594–1638)
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Estimate €10,000 - €20,000
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Description
Jacques BELLANGE (1594–1638) The Three Marys at the Tomb Etching. Signed ‘Bellange’ 440 × 290 mm. Sold framed. (minor wear and tear, tears, paper slightly warped, no margins) Bibliography: Robert-Dumesnil 9; Walch 46; Griffiths & Hartley 14 One of the key works of French Mannerist engraving, Jacques Bellange’s *The Holy Women at the Tomb*, faithfully follows the account in Mark 16:1–6: ‘When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. They asked one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us? ’ They looked and saw that the stone had been rolled away, for it was very large. They went into the tomb and saw a young man sitting on the right-hand side, dressed in a long white robe. They were seized with fear. He said to them, ‘Do not be afraid! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. Here is the place where they laid him.’ ” The third woman mentioned by the apostle Mark, Salome, should not be confused with Herodias’s daughter. A disciple of Christ, she was also known as Mary Salome, hence the usual French title of this work: ‘The Three Marys at the Tomb’. Bellange depicts the three women on two occasions: first in the background, on the left, as they discover the entrance to the open cave; and secondly, in front of the empty tomb, just as the angel announces Jesus’ resurrection. It is a bold composition, in which the three Marys occupy a prominent position in the foreground, yet are seen from behind or in profile. The viewer is thus placed in the same position as the women, their gaze turned towards the Angel of the Resurrection. This work is the most monumental of Bellange’s major engravings, such as ‘The Resurrection of Lazarus’ or ‘The Martyrdom of Saint Lucy’, which can sometimes appear overloaded and confusing. Here, everything is reduced to the essence of the narrative, whilst retaining Bellange’s unique and highly eccentric style, characterised by elongated figures, opulent costumes and extravagant hairstyles. Little is known about the life of Jacques Bellange, court painter to the Duke of Lorraine in Nancy between 1602 and 1616. His career as an engraver began in 1613; it can be regarded as the pinnacle of French Mannerist printmaking. His printed output is limited: only 47 plates in total. Nicole Walch has identified only six of these in public collections. Griffiths and Hartley mistakenly mention two copies of the first state (before the signature), in Boston and Amsterdam, but the sheet in the Rijksmuseum is in fact a copy of the second state, which is signed.
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About the sale TREASURES OF THE LOIRE VALLEY
Auction location
Auction time 11/22/2026 at 2:00 PM
Lot description modified on 10/15/2026 at 1:12 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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