Impressions of both prints are in the British Museum. Marcantonio's print was greatly admired in Italy and had a long history of use by Italian maiolica painters in the 16th Century. This plate is particularly important as it is signed by Lefebvre, a known maker from Nevers, France and documents the way in which Italian Renaissance maiolica tradition was taken to France by Italian potters and developed in Nevers.

Provenance

Sir Andrew Fountaine, before 1835; Christie's, 1884; Samuel Wilson between 1850-1891; Gaston Lefebvre before 1939; by descent to George Lefebvre; A & J Speelman Ltd, 2006. This work has been vetted by the Art Loss Register and LSAD database and the w