Perspective Id est, Celeberrima ars inspicientis aut transpicientis oculorum aciei, in pariete, tabula aut tele depicta. 2 vols. in 1.

VREDEMAN DE VRIES, Hans (or Jan).

Published by Leiden, Henricus Hondius, 1604

About this Item

Two printed titles with elaborate engr. architectural borders, woodcut initials, 1 (of 2) engr. portrait in the text and 49 engr. plates in vol. 1 (33 + 34 on 1 leaf), and 24 engr. plates in vol. 2. Text printed in 2 cols. 9 (of 10) unn. leaves; 3 unn. leaves. Oblong folio (280 x 350 mm). 17th cent. marbled boards (new endpapers). Leiden, Henricus Hondius, 1604-1605. First edition of Vredeman's "Perspective" issued by Hondius, and printed simultaneously also in French, Dutch and German. Present here is the valuable Latin version, "the classical language in which Vredeman's architecture is clad and thus becomes timeless in its character" (Millard, p. 20f.). This is one of the most celebrated works on such a subject and was issued by the Flemish born Hendrik Hondius the Elder (1573-1650). The plates for the most part are engraved and a few signed by him after Hans Vredeman. Plate 14 in part 2 is after Paul Vredeman, and 4 plates in this part are signed with the monogram DB (probably Theodore de Bry or Bartholomaeus Dolendo). The painter and architect Hans (or Jan) Vredeman de Vries was born 1527 to a German soldier in Leeuwarden, Netherlands and probably died in Antwerp 1604. "The King of Architects" (Fowler) together with Hans van Schille worked at the fortification of the city of Antwerp, and also at the triumphal arches built for the entry of the future Philip II into Antwerp in 1549. As a consequence of the religious upheavals of the period, Vredeman worked in Hamburg, Danzig and Prague before returning to Holland. He wrote and illustrated the present guidebook on perspective for designers, painters, and architects. It became one of the major books on this subject, and through Vredeman de Vries' various publications he is recognised as the "foremost among sixteenth century Netherlandish (architectural) authors" (Millard, p. 19). The two volumes illustrate stage perspective, interiors, furniture, palace and garden architecture. Vredeman de Vries was capable of truly artistic landscaping in the Northern Renaissance and served as a model for some patrician gardens in Germany (cf. E. Haupt, Baukunst der Renaissance in Frankreich und Deutschland, 1916). The book includes a number of scenes and projections employ one-and-multi-point perspective. These were essential demonstrations for artists of those days. This work on perspective summarizes Vredeman's knowledge of art, science, and geometry. This copy has the same collation as the Fowler copy at Johns Hopkins University library which also lacks at the beginning of vol. 1 the leaf A1v with an engraved portrait on left half and a printed poem on right half of this leaf. There are complete copies known, but in fact there is no copy of this Latin edition in the holdings of the BL London, the Royal Library The Hague, Utrecht, Dresden, Heidelberg, Beinecke or Centre d'Architecture at Montreal. The only two but incomplete copies in Austria are in the holdings of the University of Technology Library at Vienna, and in the Univ. Libr. Salzburg. The only copy in Switzerland in the holdings of the ETH- Library in Zurich is also incomplete and a mixed-up one (1st part in Latin, 2nd part in French). Other incomplete copies are known in the holdings of the Bavarian State Library Munich, the V & A Mus. London, the Pierpont Morgan Library New York.- Engr. titles slightly frayed at lower margin, some foxing, otherwise a neat and rare copy. - Cf. Cicognara 867 (French ed.); Millard, Northern European Books, 139 (lacking engr. title to part II); Berlin Cat. 4704; Fowler 432 (same collation); cf. Nagler I, 1757; Borggrefe, Heiner. Hans Vredeman (2002). ART - GENERAL & APPLIED ; SCIENCE: ARCHITECTURE ; SCIENCE: GENERAL ;

Seller Inventory # 33228-471

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Perspective Id est, Celeberrima ars inspicientis aut transpicientis oculorum aciei, in pariete, tabula aut tele depicta. 2 vols. in 1.
• Publisher: Leiden, Henricus Hondius
• Publication Date: 1604
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)