Author: STRADANUS (Jan van der Straet, Bruges 1523 - Florence 1605) :
Title: NOVA REPERTA - A suite of 20 engravings on discoveries and inventions.
Description: .: Antwerpen, ca. 1625-1630, (editor Johannes Galle), title-engraving and 19 plates, bound in an 18th-century half-vellum binding , with vellum corners, with a manuscript title in Dutch within an engraved label on the front cover and manuscript titles on the flyleaf and in the margin of the titleplate. The plates have Latin captions and large margins (paper size 325 x 255, plate size 270 x 210), three plates with smaller margins received tipped-on margins, all plates with a simple borderline in ink, very nicely preserved (one small tear repaired in plate 15). The suite is based on drawings made by Stradanus. Two of the original drawings; nos. 4 and 19, are to be found in the Windsor Castle collection (see Van Puyvelde; The Flemish drawings at Windsor Castle, ills. 157 and 158). The drawing of plate 6 is kept in Brunswick. The titleplate shows a map of the Americas. Plate 1; Columbus meets a native (Theo.Galle). Plate 2; The compass (I.Galle excud.). Plate 3; A gun factory (I.G.). Plate 4; Typography (I.G.). Plate 5; Invention of the clock.(I.G.) Plate 6; Medicine for venereal diseases (I.G.). Plate 7; Distillation (I.G.). Plate 8; Cultivation of silk from the silkworm (I.G.). Plate 9; Harnessing of horses (I.G.) Plate 10; The watermill (I.G.). Plate 11; The windmill. (I.G.). Plate12; Extraction of olive oil (I.G.). Plate13; The processing of sugar cane (I.G.). Plate14; The invention of oil painting. (I.G.). Plate 15; The invention of the spectacles (Ioan Collaert sculp., I.G. exec.). Plate 16; Orientation at sea.(I.G.). Plate 17; Metal polishing (Ioan Collaert sculpsit, I.G. excud.). Plate18; The invention of the astrolabium (with a portrait and a poem of Dante) (Ioan Collaert sculpsit). P.19; The invention of etching (I.G.). On all plates J.Stradanus is mentioned as the draughtsman (invent.). On all plates, except 2 and 18 , Joannes Galle is mentioned as printer (excud.). On four plates the name of the engraver is mentioned; on 1 Theodor Galle , on 15, 17, 18, Ioan Collaert. The title plate also bears the addition ''Antverpiae'' to the name of Ioan Galle. Extremely rare complete copy of this famous suite by Stradanus. According to Hollstein it was engraved by Hans Collaert and Theodore Galle (see Hollstein vol. VII pp. 80). Hans Collaert (he sometimes signed Ioan Collaert) died in 1620 (see Wurzbach pp. 316), Theodor Galle died in 1633 (see Wurzbach pp 567) so the suite can be dated around 1625 - 1630. .

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