A laughing jester holding a fool's bauble with a grotesque face. Line engraving by D. Custos after H. Goltzius.

  • Goltzius, Hendrik, 1558-1617.
Reference:
3233i
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Description

The jester holds a fool's bauble in which the head resembles some of the grotesque heads shown in the engravings that make up the set

Physical description

1 print : line engraving ; image 15 x 13 cm

Lettering

Die Nachvolghen thuen mich lachen. Quelli chi me seguino me fanno ridere. DC

Creator/production credits

Dominicus Custos appears to have taken the composition by Goltzius and adapted it as the introductory plate to a set of grotesque heads, hence the lettering meaning "Those who follow make me laugh". Or does the fact that the lettering also appears in Italian mean that Sadeler, working in Venice, had already used the Goltzius design for that purpose?

References note

Adam Bartsch, Le peintre graveur, Vienna 1803, vol. 3, pp. 251-252, no. 103 ("103. Un fou tenant une marotte qu'il montre en riant; à mi-corps. T'is om te lachen.-HG inuent.-- Sanredam sculp. 5 lignes. La marge du bas : 11 lignes. Largeur: pouces, 5 lignes. On a des épreuves de cette estampe, où les mots : Tis om te lachen sont effacés, et remplacés par une triple inscription en hollandois, en allemand et en françois. La première commence ainsi: Elk gevalt zyn etc.On a de ce morceau une copie en contre-partie de l'original, mise au jour par Sadeler. Cosa ridicolosa -- Si ride il pazzo etc. -- Sadeler excud. Venetia. Hauteur: 8 pouces , 2 lignes. La marge du bas: 5 lignes. Largeur: 6 pouces , 4 lignes … Une troisième copie, qui est aussi en sens contraire, a été faite par Dominique Custos; elle est de plus petite forme. Die Nachvolghen thuen mich lachen Quelli chi mi segvino etc. -- D. C. (C'est-à-dire: Dominique Custos). Hauteur: 5 pouces, 7 lignes. La marge du haut: 3 lignes, La marge du bas: 5 lignes. Largeur: 4 pouces , 10 lignes.")
Jörg Diefenbacher, The new Hollstein German engravings, etchings and woodcuts 1400-1700. Dominicus Custos. Part I, Ouderkerk aan den Ijssel: Sound & Vision Publishers, 2022 (to be confirmed)

Reference

Wellcome Collection 3233i

Notes

This plate introduces a series of not fewer than eight prints of grotesque heads, two of which are signed with the initials of Dominicus Custos. Impressions in the same set are found in the Raccolta delle Stampe "Achille Bertarelli", Milan. Prints in the Raccolta Bertarelli that are absent fom the Wellcome set: F. Von Labriana, F. von Muffiana, F. von Braiolova, and H. von Gruiniolon

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