Offering to Cybele – 19th Century Heliogravure Reproduction after Hendrick van Balen
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Description
Offering to Cybele – 19th Century Heliogravure Reproduction after Hendrick van Balen
A 19th-century heliogravure titled Offering to Cybele, created after the original painting by Flemish Baroque artist Hendrick van Balen (1573–1632). The composition presents a richly populated mythological scene centered on the goddess Cybele, surrounded by putti, allegorical figures, and an abundant garland of fruits and flowers. The dense, decorative arrangement reflects early Baroque allegory, emphasizing fertility, nature, and devotion through elaborate figuration and symbolic abundance.
This heliogravure was produced after van Balen’s painting formerly in the National Museum, Amsterdam, as noted in the original plate inscription. The impression is printed on wove paper with full margins and exhibits light age toning and minor surface wear consistent with late 19th-century photographic gravure prints.
About Heliogravure:
Heliogravure, also known as photogravure, is a refined intaglio printing process developed in the mid-to-late 19th century that combines photography with traditional copperplate engraving. Renowned for its deep tonal range and painterly detail, heliogravure was widely used to reproduce important paintings with a richness unattainable by standard photographic methods. Because each impression is hand-inked and printed from an etched plate, heliogravures are regarded as true fine art prints rather than mechanical reproductions and remain highly valued by collectors.
Print Details
• Image Size: approx. 14.5 × 10.5 in
• Technique: Heliogravure on wove paper
• Artist: after Hendrick van Balen
• Subject: Allegorical mythology / Cybele
• Condition: Good overall; light age toning; unframed