Eustache Le Sueur (1616-1655)

Fine set of three old engravings illustrating episodes from the Life of Saint Bruno, after the designs of Eustache Le Sueur (1616-1655), a major figure of 17th-century French painting and one of the leading representatives of French classicism. These prints reproduce three scenes from the famous cycle devoted to Saint Bruno, founder of the Carthusian order, painted by Le Sueur for the Chartreuse de Paris. This monumental ensemble ranks among the important achievements of French religious painting in the Grand Siècle. The three plates offered, numbered 1, 5 and 6, successively present an episode tied to the origins of the Carthusian order, Saint Bruno teaching before his disciples, and his departure into solitude accompanied by six companions. The compositions are distinguished by their monumental architecture, the balance of the groups of figures, and the finesse of the engraving work. The interplay of shadow and light emphasizes expressions and gestures, while the drapery and perspectives testify to the care given to the engraved translation of the original paintings. Each print bears, in its lower part, Latin inscriptions accompanied by French verses, which illuminate the spiritual and narrative meaning of the scene. Thus, the ensemble provides an interesting testimony to the diffusion of Le Sueur's work through engraving. The three sheets, large format (54 × 40 cm each), preserve wide margins and present legible and contrasted impressions. They show natural signs of age: scattered foxing, light stains, folds and small marginal tears, visible in the photographs. The engraved compositions are complete. Together in one lot, these three plates form a decorative and historically interesting ensemble, intended for both connoisseurs of antique prints and collectors of religious art, monastic iconography, and 17th-century French painting. Set of three engravings sold as a single lot. Dimensions of each sheet: 54 × 40 cm.

Estimate:£169.64

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