A complete set of Callot's "Petites misères de la guerre" (1633), a masterpiece of miniature etching which might be considered a rough draft for the artist's "Grandes misères de la guerre".
In fact, this set might be considered even more than complete. It includes the title-page etched by Abraham Bosse and the complete suite of six etchings, numbered 1 to 6, by Callot. It also includes, exceptionally, a proof of "Le combat au pistolet" (Lieure 1313), which doesn't belong to this suite...or does it?
Decades after Callot's death (c. 1700), print dealer Jacques Fagnani bought the plates of "Le combat au pistolet" and its companion piece, "Le combat à l'épée". Thinking they belonged to "Les exercices militaires", a set traditionally thought to comprise twelve etchings, he had a tiny "13" engraved on one plate and a tiny "14" on the other. Impressions with these added numbers are the second state of two, according to Lieure. But the present impression features a tiny "7" (a state not described by Lieure) presumably because some very early owner of the plate thought that it was the seventh plate of the "Petites misères". Since the plates still exist and bear the numbers 13 and 14, impressions with the number 7 are certainly earlier, and constitute the true second state--and such impressions are apparently unrecorded.
Excellent impressions on fine laid paper mounted centuries ago onto two larger sheets of fine laid paper.
The title-page has a tiny tear. At some point plates 3 and 4 were apparently neatly cut into two pieces, without loss, and then reunited when mounted. Otherwise a very good set, with thread margins as usual.
The suite is very rare, and the true second state of the "Combat" is possibly unique.
