PHILOSTRATE & VIGENERE, Blaise de. - Lot 1177

Lot n° 1177
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Estimation :
15000 - 20000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 38 544EUR
PHILOSTRATE & VIGENERE, Blaise de. - Lot 1177
PHILOSTRATE & VIGENERE, Blaise de. The Pictures or Platte Paintings of the two Greek Sophist Philostrates, and the statues of Callystrate. Put in French [sic] by Blaise de Vigenere Bourbonnois. Enriched with Arguments and Annotations received and corrected on the original by a Greek doctor of that time. And represent in intaglio in this new edition. With Epigrams on each of them by Artus Thomas sieur d'Embry. Paris, Veuves Abel l'Angelier et Guillemot, 1615. Large volume in-folio (413 x 274 mm) of an engraved title, 8 ff.n.ch., 927 pp. mal ch. 921, 23 ff.n.ch. of table; marbled fawn calf, spine ribbed and decorated with garlands, compartments decorated with a diamond pattern with a large central fleuron and palmettes at the corners, red morocco title piece, three framed fillets on the plates, lace with branches on the inside and on the cups, gilt edges (18th century binding). One of the most beautiful French illustrated books of the 17th century. For Quirielle, it is "the most esteemed edition of this work", which proposes, in the translation by the Bourbonnais writer Blaise de Vigenère, the Ekphraseis - work of the Greek neo-sophist philosopher Philostratus (2nd - 3rd century) -, its continuation by his grandson (also named Philostratus), as well as the Descriptions of the Greek rhetorician Callistrate (3rd - 4th century). These collections of Pictures or Paintings give descriptions of alleged antique paintings kept in a gallery in Naples. Blaise de Vigenère (1523-1596), appointed by Charles IX secretary of embassy in Rome in the years 1566-1569, had discovered the artistic treasures of Italy there. He therefore undertook the translation of these works with the aim of teaching artists the rules of composition. The first edition was published in 1578 by Nicolas Chesneau in two volumes in-4, without figures. The folio reprints of 1614 and 1615 were quickly sought after because of the interest and quality of their illustration. The illustration is one of
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