Gérard de Lairesse, Ubi dissensio est, ubi invidia est: ibi chorus non est, old etching published by Nicolaes Visscher, Flemish school, 17th century

Beautiful antique etching with moral and biblical subject, identified in Italian public collections as Abraham and Sarah at the Table. The scene shows an old man seated in front of a table, surrounded by female figures, children and a rich interior decoration with wall hangings and an antique statue. Under the image appears the Latin sentence Ubi dissensio est, ubi invidia est: ibi chorus non est, which gives the composition an allegorical and moralizing scope, beyond the simple domestic episode. The Istituto Centrale per la Grafica attributes this print to Gérard de Lairesse, gives Nicolaes Visscher as publisher, and identifies it precisely under this Latin title, with the subject “Abramo e Sara a tavola”.

The sheet is very attractive due to the richness of its presentation and the quality of its line. We find a fully baroque language, but ordered with great clarity: the figures are articulated around the table, the hanging drapery gives the whole thing an almost theatrical setting, and the circulation of gazes creates a discreet but real psychological tension. The old man, treated with a beautiful firmness of expression, brings to the center an expressive gravity which contrasts with the more supple grace of the female figures and children.

The cutting work is fine, regular and very lively. The flesh, fabrics and folds of the hangings are rendered with precision, while the little genies and table accessories enrich the reading without weighing it down. The image is thus located on the border of the genre scene, the Old Testament subject and the moral emblem.

The sheet is part of the engraved production of Gérard de Lairesse, a Liège artist active in Amsterdam, whose invention and engraving are noted here in the catalog of the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica. The editor mentioned is Nicolaes Visscher. The whole comes from the Flemish or Dutch baroque environment, in this scholarly vein where the engraving combines edifying subject, taste for the antique and domestic theatricality. The Italian notice gives a matrix chronology “17th-18th century”, with a plate dimension of 223 x 252 mm and a sheet of 518 x 352 mm for the preserved copy.

Gérard de Lairesse (Liège 1641 – Amsterdam before 1711), inventor and engraver.

Flemish school.
Second half of the 17th century, published by Nicolaes Visscher. The reference copy from the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica is linked to a 17th-18th century matrix context.

Etching on old laid paper.

Dimensions approximately 23 x 26.5 cm for the sheet.

In the plate, in the lower part, appears the Latin sentence:
Ubi dissensio est, ubi invidia est: ibi chorus non est.

In the lower line we read the editorial address of Nicolaes Visscher, very probably in the usual form indicated by old catalogs.

On the back, presence of an old number or barely legible annotations, as well as an old blue label in the upper right corner, testifying to an old classification or passage in collection.

Old provenance not documented with certainty.
The back, however, bears traces of old mounting, handwritten annotations and a small old label, which testify to a real collection history.

Sheet listed at the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica under the title UBI DISSENSIO EST, UBI INVIDIA EST: IBI CHORUS NON EST, with identification of the subject as Abraham and Sara at the table, attribution to Gérard de Lairesse and edition by Nicolaes Visscher. The old bibliography mentioned in this notice refers in particular to Nagler.

Old condition with beautiful visual presence. The paper has a regular patina, some dirt, small foxing, traces of humidity or old mounting visible especially on the reverse, as well as an old halo and some marks of use. The front remains clearly readable, with a still clear line and a decorative impression. The reverse shows significant material experience, which confirms the ancient character of the sheet.

The copy from the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica is given for a 223 x 252 mm plate, on a much larger sheet, and classified in the Corsini collection. It is described there as an etching by Gérard de Lairesse, of ambito culturale fiammingo, published by Nicolaes Visscher.

Very beautiful baroque cabinet print, at once scholarly, decorative and unusual. The name of Gérard de Lairesse, the publication by Nicolaes Visscher, the moral sentence in Latin and the quality of execution make it an interesting leaf for a lover of Flemish engraving, moralistic subjects or biblical iconography. The scene works very well visually, with real domestic theater charm and a nice balance between narration, setting and symbolism.

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