1598 – C. de Passe – Sigismundus III

Title:             “Sigismundus III D.G. Poloniae et Sveciae Rex, Magnus Lithuaniae, Russiae &c. Dux 1598”
                (Sigismund III, by the Grace of God King of Poland and Sweden, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, etc., 1598)
​
Description:

This is an original copper engraving of Sigismund III Vasa (1566–1632), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1587, and King of Sweden from 1592 to 1599. It was engraved by Crispijn de Passe the Elder for his Effigies regum ac principum, published in Cologne in 1598. The book portrayed the rulers whose power at sea mattered most in Europe. It sets Sigismund beside Philip II, Henri IV, Elizabeth I, Christian IV and the Doge of Venice, and beside the great navigators: Columbus, Vespucci, Magellan, Drake and Cavendish.

The young king wears a tall hat with a large plume and a wide lace ruff. He is framed in an oval that carries his titles, with a crown, an eagle, a sword and sceptres in the corners. His motto, “QVO MEA ME FORTVNA VOCAT” (“Where my fortune calls me”), is engraved on the parapet above de Passe’s monogram.

Below are six Latin lines by Matthias Quad, written in the king’s voice:

Aequoris Arctoi Princeps, validissimus armis, / Aere virisque potens (Regna hic taceo ampla Poloni, / Contentus patriis saltem) me Baltica quamvis / Littora circumdent, cursus tamen undique nobis / Ad populos plures, urbes patet atque potentes, / Maxima pars quorum nostro sunt subdita sceptro.

“Prince of the Northern Sea, mightiest in arms, powerful in wealth and men (here I pass over the wide realms of the Poles, content with my ancestral lands): though the Baltic shores surround me, a course lies open to us on every side, to many peoples and mighty cities, most of which are subject to our sceptre.”

The print appeared in 1598, the year Sigismund lost the Battle of Stångebro to his uncle Charles. The defeat cost him the Swedish crown, and he was deposed the following year.

Engraver:           Crispijn de Passe the Elder (c. 1564–1637)
Sheet size:           22,3 x 17,2 cm
Year:                     1598
Technique:          copper engraving

Reference:           Hollstein XV, no. 826; National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1950.14.1113

Condition:
Good. The impression is strong and clear, with wide margins and a visible plate mark. There is light toning, with a few spots in the margins and some small chips and wear along the right edge of the sheet.

This is an original antique map published in 1598 and NOT a modern copy or reprint

On your request I will provide a Certificate of Authenticity