Introduction by Rooses Max (1 results)

Small quarto. Handsomely bound in contemporary full tan calf, the boards double-ruled in gilt and with central decorative vignette in gilt to each board; the spine with five raised bands, ruled in gilt, with decorative gilt devices to the compartments and titles in gilt. Gilt dentelles. Marbled endpapers. Page edges gilt. Original printed wrappers bound in. Short introductory essay by Max Rooses, followed by 46 finely engraved plates by Crispin van de Passe after Maerten de Vos, each with a tissue-guard and preceding caption leaf in Dutch and French. Unobtrusive embossed stamp to the rear endpaper for Neatham Mill Library. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm with a few minor blemishes and a touch of rubbing to the joints. The contents with a little offsetting from the plates to the facing blank verso of the caption leaf are otherwise wonderfully clean and crisp throughout - the engravings remaining bold and sharp. A beautifully fine and crisp suite of engravings depicting the life and the Passion of Christ by the Dutch old master engraver and publisher Crispin van de Passe (c.1564-1637) after the Flemish painter Maerten de Vos (1532-1603), originally executed in 1588 for a Book of Hours to be published by van de Passe's Plantin Press, but which never came to fruition. The engraved copperplates remained unused at the Plantin Press, then subsequently the Plantin-Moretus Musuem, for more than 300 years before they were finally put to use for the first time in the present publication - as is reflected by the remarkable strength and depth of the impressions. A scarce work, issued in an edition of around 50 copies.…