Old Masters, Titian, Loves of the Gods, Pair of Antique Engravings, c. 1715

The original works at Blenheim Palace upon which these compositions are based were destroyed by fire in 1861. According to the British Museum, “The attribution to Titian is uncertain, however, and was doubted as early as 1766.” Nonetheless, the images are rendered in the voluptuous Renaissance style associated with the great Italian painter. The Wellcome Collection, which has prints from the van Gunst series in its collection, identifies them as having been possibly printed in Paris in 1715.

Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) was one of the great Italian painters, draftsmen and printmakers of the late Renaissance, considered the foremost painter of the Venetian school. His painterly technique, characterized by looser brushwork, less defined outlines and mutually related colors, influenced later generations of artists. Titian painted religious, historical, and mythological subjects, portraits and allegories.

John Smith was an English mezzotint engraver and print seller, engraving prints for public sale and private commissions. He collaborated with Isaac Beckett in the mid-1680s, then used Edward Cooper as his publisher. Sometime before 1700 he set up his own printselling and publishing business in London. He did many portrait engravings, especially after paintings by Sir Godfrey Kneller, who employed him for that purpose. He also engraved mythological and religious scenes after various old master paintings. Smith engraved some 800 prints represented in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Pieter Stevens van Gunst was a Dutch draftsman and copperplate engraver active in Amsterdam and London. He engraved numerous portraits, mostly after van Dyck, but also after other artists. Britain’s National Portrait Gallery has almost 100 portrait engravings by van Gunst in its collection, and they are found in other major museums such as the Rijksmuseum and British Museum

Condition: Generally very good, recently professionally cleaned and deacidified with only light remaining, toning, wear, handling.

References:

“Bacchus [Dionysus] and Ariadne. Engraving by P.S. Gunst after Titian.” Wellcome Collection.https://wellcomecollection.org/works/s9vkpju7 (30 December 2022).

“John Smith.” The Grove Dictionary of Art. New York: Macmillan. 2000. Artnet.com.http://www.artnet.com/library/07/0793/T079317.asp (31 March 2004).

“Print; title-page. The Loves of the Gods” British Museum. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1878-0914-52 (30 December 2022).

“Titian.” The Grove Dictionary of Art. New York: Macmillan. 2000. Artnet.com. (31 March 2004).