Matthaeus Merian the Elder (18 results)

Softcover/Paperback. Condition: Good. Good reading condition. Light cover and edge wear are visible in the seller photographs.

ENTIRE TEXT IN GERMAN. Facsimile reprint of the 1653 edition. Hardcover: H 30.75cm x L 20.5cm. Dust jacket toned with slight soiling; a few scuffs at edges. Light toning to boards and spine; bumping to spine ends. Interior leaves are clean. Binding remains fairly crisp. With numerous b/w foldouts. Please note that this large book has an approximate shipping weight of 4 pounds (1.81 kg) and may require additional postage for any postal class other than domestic Media Mail. …

27 x 20 cm. 216 Seiten. Mit ca. 150 Abbildungen. Orig.-Leinenband mit Schutzumschlag. - Sehr schönes Exemplar.

27 x 20 cm. 216 Seiten. Mit ca. 200 Abbildungen. Orig.-Leinenband mit Schutzumschlag . - Sehr guter Zustand.

Hardcover. Octavo, cuius, 350 pages. In Poor condition. Spine torn open with stitched exposed, formerly repaired with non-archival tape, which has since hardened and is severely flaking. Front board mostly detached. Extremely fragile. Missing title page. Severe worming to lower exterior corner through page ten, open tear from page mus through page III.P. Notable soiling throughout. Occasional graphite and ink annotations. Text in Latin. Shelved in Room A. OCLC: 258125024. 1404548. Special Collections - Upstairs.…

Hardcover. Condition: Good. [1625-1630]. Four parts in one volume, separately titled, two with engraved borders. Oblong 8vo (133x175mm). Pagination: Part 1: 3-111, [1]pp. (lacking title); Part II: 135, [1]pp. (pp. 19-20 misbound but present) ; Part III: 87, [1]pp.; Part IV: 159, [1]pp (lacking 5 engravings at pp. 69-70, 89-90, 141-144, 157-158). Sold as is. 228 oblong copperplate engravings of Old and New Testament compositions, covering biblical books of Genesis to Apocalypse, with Latin, German, and French text from a chronicle by Johann Ludwig Gottfried. Old German Type. This copy opening with the dedication by Merian to the "austere and noble" Frankfurt town mayor Johann Martin Bawer von Eiseneck (Baur von Eysseneck) and followed by the "Favorable Reader" pages. Part I of the Icones Biblicae covers the books of Genesis to end of Deuteronomy. Part II, is dedicated to Anna Maria Königin and Jacob Sandrarts, a burger and tradesman of Frankfurt respectively, and covers the books of Joshua to second book of Kings. Part III, the shortest and dated 1630, covers books of Chronicles to II Maccabees. Part IV, dated 1629, with engraved title with Christ as Humilitas and astounded St. Paul in Glory, covers New Testament chronicles and scenes, including all four Gospel writers, Acts of the Apostles, and the Apocalypse. Later half calf over speckled boards; (front cover loose, some minor excisions as noted above, preliminary leaves and some corners and margins repaired, some margins shaved close with loss, scattered stains, overall a good, compact copy rich in engravings). Merian's engravings and Gottfried's trilingual chronicle, together an iconographic compendium to the Bible, the "Icones Biblicae," published between 1625 and 1630 by Zetzners in Strassburg. The printers De Bry in Frankfurt produced another edition of the same title from 1625 to 1627. After 1631, other editions of the "Icones Biblicae" appeared in Amsterdam and Cologne. The initial work was conceived as a monumental collection of great scenes from the Bible, designed by Merian, and accompanied with short descriptive texts in German, Latin, and French by German theologian and historian Johann Ludwig Gottfried. Swiss-born engraver Matthaeus Merian (the Elder) lived in Frankfurt most his life where he produced several religious, historical, and topographical publications for the European market. Perhaps best known for his detailed prints of European cities, Merian's biblical imagery, both of Old and New Testament compositions, were also well integrated into the vernacular culture of his time. Merian's superb engravings are reminiscent of seventeenth century European landscapes, plentiful in period details and notable for "Baroque-ized" exaggerations consisting of raucous figures in high drama situations. It is purported Rembrandt van Rijn consulted a copy of the "Icones Biblicae" for ideas for his compositions. OCLC locates only one copy, but that of De Bry, in a US institution. This Zetzners edition is uncommon outside Europe. Altogether a scarce work and commonly lacking a few engravings, which were probably pulled for artistic reference.…

Hardcover. Condition: Very good. First edition. Oblong folio (leaves: 20.6 by 31.2 cm; plates: 10 to 11.5 by 14.5 to 15.5 cm). Engraved titlepage borders without letterpress; 231 (of 233) engraved plates printed on the rectos with no printed text, depicting biblical scenes from the Old and New Testaments (lacks Gen. XIX: Lot and his daughters after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; Exod. VIII & IX: The plague of frogs). Recent marbled calf (lightly rubbed at extremities), bordered in blind; gilt-tooled spine with raised bands, gilt lettering pieces. Occasional light stains and smudges (especially at the outermost leaves, and almost entirely restricted to the blank margins); old, mostly marginal repairs and reinforcement of tears to about 30 leaves (Matt. IV plate with loss of about 10 words of manuscript text). Protected by wide margins, the plates are clean, fresh and bright, with relatively few minor blemishes. Housed and protected in a custom luxurious modern leather clamshell box. Rare suite of biblical illustrations printed before letter, perhaps as proofs, comprising 231 (of 233) engraved plates from the Icones Biblicae of Matthaeus Merian, the elder (1593-1650). The engravings are printed on large paper and lack any printed text. They are preceded by a leaf of the engraved title borders to the first part, in which the central cartouche which would have contained a letterpress title and imprint is here blank. Neat manuscript annotations appear throughout: atop each engraving is a brief title, along with a notation of the biblical book and chapter(s); beneath each engraving are six-lines of rhyming verse in German; at the top corners are leaf numbers in Arabic numerals. All are penned in black ink in the same old cursive German hand. The engraved title leaf is not included in the manuscript foliation. The first three leaf numbers (and several others among the first 23 leaves) are obscured by wear or later marginal repairs. The foliation ends at leaf 233, and is discontinuous where one would expect to find numbers 15 and 38, corresponding to the missing plates noted above. As noted by Wütrich, only four of the 233 plates are signed by Merian, all in the New Testament series. Each of these signed plates appears in our suite: Matthaei I. - page 7; Johannis VIII. - page 65; Matthaei XXVII. - page 101; Apocalyps. IX. - page 145 (header titles and page numbers from the first edition). The first editions were published at Frankfurt in four parts between 1625 and 1627. The Pentateuch series was published in 1625. The second part, illustrating the Old Testament books from Joshua to Kings, appeared in 1626. These first two series were published under the name of Merian's father-in-law, the printer and bookseller Johann Theodor de Bry (1561-1623), whose heirs retained title to the business. The third part illustrates the remainder of the Old Testament and Apocrypha; the fourth, the New Testament. These last two parts were published in 1627 under the engravers's own name. Verses in Latin, German, and French accompany each plate in the three Old Testament series, the French verses being omitted in the 1627 New Testament series. While the eminent Swiss draughtsman and engraver Matthaeus Merian is best known for his topographical depictions of the German speaking lands which appeared in the Theatrum Europaeum, his novel selection of biblical stories and innovative stylistic approach revealed in the present series of plates proved highly influential, ushering in a new age of copperplate engraving in Bible illustration. Merian broke with the century-long tradition of woodcuts, which had accompanied countless editions of Luther's German Bible. Even as he drew on the Bible illustrations of Jost Amman, Hans Holbein, Virgil Solis, and Tobias Stimmer, Merian greatly expanded the traditional iconographic and compositional repertoire. The Old Testament alone contains 23 prints depicting stories that had never before been the subject of an engraver. While earlier New Testament woodcuts focused on the Book of Revelation, Merian now provided a rich series of plates to illustrate the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, as well. Merian had an obvious preference for crowd scenes and battles, along with some of the novelistic features of the Old Testament, such as Jacob's lentil dish, Solomon and Shulamit in the Song of Songs, or the apocryphal story of the Dragon in Babylon. Merian sometimes provides local color from his home town of Basel as in his depiction of Solomon's Temple Consecration in which, despite the baroque redesign, the Basel Cathedral with the old choir is easily recognizable. The costumes and gestures of Merian's biblical characters display a baroque fantasy of the ancient Near East as reflected in the theater of his day; in depicting cities and buildings, however, Merian generally prefers to follow contemporary models. In individual cases, such as Bathsheba's Bath, he succumbed to the temptation as an engraver and artist to show off his skills in a magnificent, fashionable palace and garden complex. All-in-all Merian's engravings initiated a development in Bible illustration "that led further and further away from the [didactic] Reformation purpose of Bible pictures to purely artistic-representational purposes, and finally ended in the well-known pathos of the [German Romantic] Nazarenes" (Schmidt). In the first few decades after their appearance, these Bible plates were widely copied throughout Europe, especially in the Netherlands and France (Poortman). The first folio Bible to use Merian's copper plates to illustrate the text was published by the heirs of Lazarus Zetzner at Strasbourg in 1630. Subsequent editions of the "Merian Bible" were published at Frankfurt, where Merian had taken over his father-in-law, Johann de Bry's, business. For over a century, as Merian's heirs continued to publish new editions, this would become "the most widespread German illustrated Bible in southern Germany, Basel, and Alsace, primarily in wealthy house. Matthaeus Merian (illustrator).…

Two volumes, 4to., full armorial vellum. Title pages printed in red & black; extra fully-engraved title pages. Vellum splitting along the front hinge of Volume 1, some old stains to the first couple of leaves of Volume 1; in general a clean and very good copy, the velllum bindings a bit sprung as usual. This book, a chronology of world history up to 1660, was first published in German, issued in eight volumes between 1629 and 1634; the first folio edition appeared in 1642. This Dutch edition of 1660 contains Illustrated title pages, full-page plates, and many fine engravings within the text. Although the decorative title pages indicate that the illustrations are by Jacob van Meurs [Met Schloone Koopere Plaaten verciert door Jacob Van Meurs], they are clearly copied from those by Merian which appeared in the original German edition. A handsome set. The engravings are dark and attractive, and are notable for their depiction of battles and other acts of savagery.…

Hardcover. Condition: Good. Frankfurt: 1625-7. Oblong octavo: [11], [99] pp. + 1-6, 9-42, 45-80, 83-114, 117-136 pp. with 110 copperplate engravings. The first part appears to be missing one leaf and the second four leaves. In a period full vellum binding, with a handwritten paper label affixed to the spine. The contents are toned, more so the first part, with some occasional soiling and staining. Archival restoration to the extremities of the first 14 leaves and periodically thereafter. Some general soiling to the vellum. The famous sequence of biblical engravings, which Platt Zetzner used for the first time in 1630 to illustrate an edition of the Bible. Each of the striking images is accompanied by verses in Latin, German, and French.…

Bust-length portrait of Johann van Giffen, turned to the left, looking forward. Johann van Giffen (active around 1648) was a German lawyer and diplomat. Engraving and etching on hand laid paper, sheet size 312 x 191 mm., platemark 177 x 127 mm. Made by Matthäus Merian the Elder, and published by his heirs in: Schleder, J.G. Theatrum Europaeum. Frankfurt am Main: Merian, 1652. Vol. 6, p. 921. Matthäus Merian the Elder (1593-1650) was a Swiss-born engraver who worked in Frankfurt, Germany for most of his career, where he also ran a publishing house. He was a member of the patrician Basel Merian family. In very good condition, ample margins. Some offsetting of letterpress on the opposite page (when this was still in it's book). Some small creases in the margin edges, lower margin lightly soiled (well outside image area). References: Wütrich (Das druckgraphische Werk von Matthaeus Merian d. AE.) vol. 3, p. 113.…

Bust portrait of admiral Michiel de Ruyter in an oval. On the bottom an inscription: "MICHAEL ADRIANUS de RUYTER / Vice-Admiralis Generakuis Holandiae / et Frislandiae Occidentalis" From Merian s "Theatrum Europaeum". Engraving on paper with margins; plate mark: 182 x 132 mm, total: 331 x 198 mm; very nice impression. Made in 1682. …

A group of seated figures in front of a pond, with a man playing lute close by. Several other couples, as well as a group of dogs sniffing a deer's head. Etching on hand laid paper, sheet size 216 x 98 mm., made by Matthäus Merian (I) (1593-1650), and published by Peter Aubry (II), c. 1600-1650. This print bears the number 4 in the lower right corner. In fair condition, cropped within platemark, some paper loss in the right edge, a few dark stains in the image area. The collection mark of Pim van Eekelen (Lugt 5105) stamped on the verso. …

Episodes from the Eight years war with the invasion by Count Hendrik van den Bergh of the Veluwe. Lettered above the three upper engravings: 'Eijnfall Graffen Heinrichs von dem Berg In die Velawe Im Jahr 1624.' and above the fourth below:' Der Holländer Anzug Wider ihre Feindt Anno 1624.' From the Theatrum Europaeum by Merian, 1635. l Four engraving in one sheet (two pages attached in the middle) with margins; platemark: 198 x 310 mm; total: 285 x 388 mm; traces of folding in the middle and on the margins. Some notes in pencil on the recto.…

Episodes from the Eight years war with the invasion by Count Hendrik van den Bergh of the Veluwe. Lettered above the three upper engravings: 'Eijnfall Graffen Heinrichs von dem Berg In die Velawe Im Jahr 1624.' and above the fourth below:' Der Holländer Anzug Wider ihre Feindt Anno 1624.' From the Theatrum Europaeum by Merian, 1635. l Four engraving in one sheet (two pages attached in the middle) with broad margins; platemark: 198 x 310 mm; total: 306 x 365 mm; traces of folding in the middle. Some stains on the top margin.…

River landscape with old fortess on the left; signed on the bottom left: 'P. Brill Jnu. ' 'M. Merian fec.' 'P. Aubry Excud.' Etching on paper: platemark: 187 x 288 mm, total: 205 x 307 mm; rather dirty and with weak margins reinforced.

In the foreground two men on foot with a woman on horseback, accompanied by a dog, cross water by stepping on stones. In the background additional figures on horseback and foot. Etching on hand laid paper, sheet size 157 x 118 mm., made by Matthäus Merian (I) (1593-1650), c. 1600-1650. In very good condition, cropped within platemark.…

Engraving with hand coloring and heightening in watercolor on two leaves of expertly conjoined handmade laid paper, one leaf with a large watermark a feathered dragon, 7 1/4 x 11 1/4 inches (183 x 285 mm). In excellent condition with superb coloring and heightening. The pigments and ink are extremely fresh and vibrant, as originally presented.…

Please email for Photographs or further information. Good - Present: engraved title + 128 plates (single-sided; versos blank). One plate is duplicated (the Sacrifice of Isaac scene appears twice). Accordingly, one subject from the standard 128-plate suite is absenta not-uncommon issue in surviving plate suites, where plates may have been gathered or replaced at some point in the book's history. (The missing subject can be identified definitively by matching the plates to a reference suite such as VD17.) Later patterned-paper boards with printed/handwritten label; rubbing and edgewear, with bumps/scuffs consistent with age and handling. Internally generally clean and well-contrasted for the period, with scattered toning/foxing and occasional light handling marks. Margins with minor wear. Prior-owner pencil numbering and a bibliographic note on the front pastedown/blank. Collation: pp. 129 Please see Photos as part of condition report. 1631 Köln: Johann von Kreps Oblong ICONES BIBLICAE PRAECIPUAS SACRAE SCRIPTURAE Historias eleganter et graphicae repraesentantes = Biblische Figuren; darinnen die fu?rnembsten Historien in Heiliger Go?ttliger Schrifft begriffen(Biblical Icons Elegantly and Graphically Representing the Main Stories of the Holy Scriptures) By after Matthäus Merian the Elder Format: Hardcover, Super octavo (8vo 7 × 11 in 178 × 279 mm ) Note: Binding/size selection follows standard bibliographic conventions and is approximate; exact measurements may vary. Language: German/Latin Published By: Johann Krebs, Cologne (Koln), Germany Condition Report: Dust Jacket: No Jacket, Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket Good - Present: engraved title + 128 plates (single-sided; versos blank). One plate is duplicated (the Sacrifice of Isaac scene appears twice). Accordingly, one subject from the standard 128-plate suite is absenta not-uncommon issue in surviving plate suites, where plates may have been gathered or replaced at some point in the book's history. (The missing subject can be identified definitively by matching the plates to a reference suite such as VD17.) Later patterned-paper boards with printed/handwritten label; rubbing and edgewear, with bumps/scuffs consistent with age and handling. Internally generally clean and well-contrasted for the period, with scattered toning/foxing and occasional light handling marks. Margins with minor wear. Prior-owner pencil numbering and a bibliographic note on the front pastedown/blank. Collation: pp. 129 Please see Photos as part of condition report. Author Bio: Matthäus Merian der Ältere (or "Matthew", "the Elder", or "Sr."; 22 September 1593 19 June 1650) was a Swiss-born engraver who worked in Frankfurt, Germany for most of his career, where he also ran a publishing house. He was a member of the patrician Basel Merian family. Synopsis: Cologne (Köln) / Johann Krebs issue, 1631 (first Kreps issue). A compact, image-led Bible in copper: 128 finely etched scenes spanning the principal narratives of Scripture, issued here as an oblong picture-book with an engraved title. A Cologne imprint closely related to the widely-collected "Icones Biblicae" suites associated with the Merian tradition (the series also appears in later expanded and reordered states). A striking early 17th-century suite of biblical imagerysmall, dramatic "stage-sets" of sacred history rendered with the lively line and atmospheric hatching typical of German Baroque book-illustration. The plates function as a visual concordance: creation and patriarchal scenes, prophetic and royal narratives, the life of Christ, and emblematic moments of judgement and revelation, each designed to be read quickly as a devotional prompt or teaching aid. This kind of compact iconographic "core set" is notably desirable to collectors because it sits at the intersection of: print-history (a portable, coherent suite of copperplates), devotional culture (pictures meant t - For full description please contact the seller 2.…