Barasingha Hert (Swamp Deer, India)
Lithograph, 1916, Van Es L 012; only 11 impressions cited in the catalogue. 15 1/8 x 11 in. Initialed and dated on the stone, lower right. With the written title below the image printed on the stone. Signed in pencil. This is a fine impression printed on light cream paper with the watermark HOLLAND. The condition is fine and the margins are full. This large work exemplifies Mesquita's bold sense of design and his quest for simplicity. Like most of the artist's prints this work is rare. Animals and birds were favorite subjects of the artist.
$1,500

Before the Mirror
Woodcut, circa 1899, Van Es H015 11 x 6 1/8 in. Initialed in the block, lower right. This is a fine impression of this very rare, early print. The margins are trimmed to the borderline (by the artist) and the sheet is attached at the four corners to a support sheet. There's a small stain below her right arm which is subtle. Va Es cites only eight impressions are accounted for. Ex-collection: Philip J (with his collectors mark, not in Lugt, showing just below the image on the support sheet. His large collection of modern Dutch prints was auctioned at Bubb Kuyper in December 2000,Part II, this being lot 1297.) Ex-collection: W.F. Veldhuysen, a former chairman of the M.C. Escher Foundation in the Netherlands.
$5,500

City Hall, Haarlem (Stadhuis, Haarlem)
Etching, 1911, van Es D37; 5 impressions cited in the catalogue. 16 1/2 x 20 3/8 in. Signed, dated and titled in the plate, upper right. Signed in pencil. This is a fine impression of this large work printed on VAN GELDER ZONEN paper. The margins are full. The condition is fine apart from a few small repairs at the sheet edges. This exquisite architectural study is unusual for the artist and may have been some kind of commission. The building is still the site for marriage ceremonies and couples were once able to stand on the balcony above the door and greet their guests and onlookers.
$2,800

Fantasy with Three Figures
Drypoint, 1925, Van Es D 113, only two impressions recorded in the catalogue raisonné. 11 3/8 x 6 1/2 in. Signed and dated in the plate at the bottom, center. Signed in pencil. This is a superb impression printed with plate tone. The margins are full and the condition is very good (There's a slight bit of discoloration within an earlier mat opening.) This very rare print is an exemplary work by the artist. A proud mother and father are thrilled with their young child while the child is positively goulish.
$2,000

Fantasy, Diverse figures (Fantasie, Diverse Figuren...)
Etching, 1927, Van Es D120, edition 15. 9 1/4 x 3 7/8 in. Signed and numbered in pencil. This is a superb impression printed on cream paid paper. The margins are full and the condition is fine. his is a nice example of Mesquita's "sensitivic" caricature etching style which began about 1910 and lasted until 1940. He produced these works in small editions and they were done primarily for fun but they also have mystical and religious overtones and are ripe with social commentary. They are unique in the history of Dutch art and are an important aspect of Mesquita's graphic work.
SOLD

Fantasy: Two Groups of Figures in Two Frames, placed Back to Back
Lithograph, 1924, Van Es L055, edition 25. 9 x 18 5/8 in. Signed on the stone, upper right corner. Signed, dated and numbered in pencil. This is a fine rich impression with full margins. The condition is also fine. This exceptionally large lithograph by Mesquita exemplifies his interest in fantastic images with distorted figures and faces. The expressions of the figures vary enormously which is large part of their appeal. Most of these "sensitivic" works were done in etching and drypoint but a few were done as woodcuts and lithographs. He produced these works in small editions and they were done primarily for fun but they also have mystical and religious overtones and are ripe with social commentary. They are unique in the history of Dutch art and are an important aspect of Mesquita's graphic work. Ex-collection: W.F. Veldhuysen, a former chairman of the M.C.Escher Foundation in the Netherlands.
SOLD

Fantasy; four half figures facing each other two by two
Etching, 1925, Van Es D 118, edition 15. 8 1/4 x 9 3/4 in. Signed and numbered in pencil. This is a superb impression printed with tone. The margins are full and the condition is excellent. There are only seven impressions cited in the catalogue by Van Es. This is a fine example of Mesquita's "sensitivic" etching style. He was captivated with making these fantasy prints.
SOLD

Fantasy; on the left two figures with caps, one the right a scratched apparition in plumage
Tusche lithograph, 1919, Van Es L 019, edition 25. 9 1/8 x 7 in. Signed and numbered in pencil. This is a fine impression printed on a sturdy,smooth wove paper. The margins appear to be full. The condition is fine apart from a tiny bend in the lower right corner of the sheet, well away from the image. This is an uncommon approach to the medium by Mesquita and only ten impressions of this print have been located. The artist was constantly experimenting with the various ways to make prints and this work is exemplary in this regard.
SOLD

Female Nude with Black Calla Lilies
Woodcut, 1912, Van Es H 031; ony five traced impressions. 22 5/8 x 15 1/2 in. Initialed and dated in the block on the side of the vase. Signed in pencil within the image, lower left. This is a fine impression printed on gray paper. The sheet is trimmed to just around the image which we've seen in another impression. Fine condition. This highly decorative design proably depicts the artist's wife, Betsie. This print is sold framed for $ 7,000 and unframed for $ 6,500.
SOLD

Honey Buzzard
Woodcut (counterproof), 1918, Van Es H 086, only 7 known impressions. 17 5/8 x 13 1/4 in. Signed in pencil in the image lower right. Signed below is pencil as well. This is a superb impression printed on very thin Japanese paper, mounted professionally on another such sheet. The condition in fine and the margins are apparently full and untrimmed. This large dynamic print has a decorative quality to it depicting most likely the trees and leaves behind the bird. This is the first time we've ever offered this print for sale. Ex-collection: W.F. Veldhuysen, a former chairman of the M.C. Escher Foundation in the Netherlands. The Dutch word for honey buzzard is "Wespendief."
SOLD

Sunflower (Zonenbloem)
Woodcut (counterproof), 1914, Van Es H 065, 8 impressions cited in the catalogue. 11 7/8 x 7 3/4 in. Initialed and dated in the block along the bottom. Signed in pencil in the top left corner and below the image to the right. Here we have a fine impression printed on gray paper. The margins are full and the condition is excellent. We've sold this lovely print before printed in the other direction and not as a counterproof as seen here. Mesquita made a significant number of counterproofs and they are remarkably well done. Ex-collection: W.F. Veldhuysen, a former chairman of the M.C. Escher Foundation in the Netherlands.
SOLD

The Maid
Woodcuts , 1932, van Es H 163, edition 10 for each (states i/III and ii/III). 18 1/4 x 7 3/8 in. Both prints are signed, dated and numbered in pencil. These are fine impressions printed on thin Japanese paper. The margins are wide and the condition is fine for both prints. For the second state, which shows the maid looking to the right, a small block was added to the printing as he needed a new printing surface to make the change. From about her shoulders up, the cutting is different notably in the jagged lines on each side of her head. These jagged lines are the same in the image from about her shoulders down to the bottom. There's a third state impression listed in the van Es catalogue which shows some subtle changes in her hair and in other places. Each state was printed in an edition of ten. There are only eight cited impressions in the catalogue: Three of the first state, four of the second and one of the third state. These two prints are exceedingly rare and make a fabulous pair. Mesquita was MC Escher's teacher and his work highly sought after. We've been dealing in his prints since the 1980s.
SOLD