Carved Oak Retable of 1500, Saint Germain l'Auxerrois, Paris, 1851

Religion · 19th century

Carved Oak Retable of 1500, Saint Germain l'Auxerrois, Paris, 1851

€ 230

Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)

Date: 1851
Mapmaker / artist: H. Soltau (draughtsman), Kellerhoven (lithographer)
Publisher: Lacroix and Séré, Paris (printed by Engelmann et Graf)
Technique: Chromolithograph
Coloring: Printed in color
Condition: Good
Reference: BG-12228-4-44

What the condition grades mean

Excellent: Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good: Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good: Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair: Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.

Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.

Condition

Deeper age toning; faint offset of lettering in the lower margin. Please see the images.

About this sheet

This is an original antique chromolithograph, printed in sepia and warm brown, lettered "RÉTABLE en chêne sculpté (1500) placé sur l'Autel de l'une des Chapelles de l'Eglise paroissiale de St Germain l'Auxerrois de Paris." The altarpiece has a tall central compartment and two lower wings, each with a cusped top and openwork canopies. The center shows the Crucifixion among horsemen and soldiers, with the mourning women and the fainting Virgin below. The left wing shows Christ carrying the Cross, and the right a crowded scene with a ladder. A lower register of five smaller compartments holds further scenes with many small figures.

The caption translates as "retable in carved oak (1500), placed on the altar of one of the chapels of the parish church of Saint Germain l'Auxerrois in Paris." The running head reads "AMEUBLEMENTS RELIGIEUX Pl. 12." The credits read "H. Soltau del.", "Chromolith. Engelmann et Graf." and "Kellerhoven lith.", with "F. Séré direxit" beneath the caption.

Le Moyen Âge et la Renaissance was published in Paris in five volumes between 1848 and 1851. Paul Lacroix, who also wrote as the Bibliophile Jacob, edited the text, and Ferdinand Séré directed the illustrations, which is why his name and the word direxit stand beneath every plate. The work surveys the manners, crafts, sciences and arts of medieval and Renaissance Europe, and its chromolithographed plates record objects held around 1850 in churches, museums and private collections. This plate is from the fourth volume, dated 1851, plate twelve of the section on church furniture.

The detailed carving rewards close viewing, so a plain mount and frame serve it best.

Condition: Deeper age toning; faint offset of lettering in the lower margin.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.