Author: Cossin, Louis (1627-1704) and Guérard, Nicolas (1648?-1719) after Sevin, Pierre-Paul (1650-1710)
Title: [8 Dissertation prints/8 Dissertatie prenten met Stellingen] Thesis Prints of Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, dedicated to King Louis XIV/Dissertatie prenten van Hendrik de La Tour d'Auvergne, burggraaf van Turenne, opgedragen aan Lodewijk de 14e.
Description: Incomplete serie. 8 engraved plates on 4 double-sided leaves by Louis Cossin after Sevin celebrating king’s Louis XIV triumphs with aphorisms and emblematic devices some of which are by Claude François Menestrier. An illustrated allegory depicting the campaigns of Henri de la Tour d’Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne (1611-75) on behalf of, and latterly with, Louis XIV. This suite of plates, unfortunately incomplete, was issued by the Jesuit College of Clermont. The text, displayed on 12 plates, is a treatise on rhetoric by Turenne’s nephew, dedicated to the martial exploits of Louis XIV. The plates contain three philosophical maxims by P. Fr. Nepveu bordered by richly ornate engravings: these comprise a head-piece vignette illustrating and naming the campaign, a tail-piece in cartouche or tablet with brief summary of the main events of the action; either side are 2 emblematic devices (in all 48, of which 28 are attributed by Praz to Claude-François Menestrier). Linking the illustrations are an extraordinarily inventive array of pagan and Christian figures, mythical creatures, symbolic instruments, grotesque ornaments, and floral and foliar decoration. The Jesuit, Claude-François Menestrier (1631-1705) was particularly renowned for his treatises on the art of devices and emblems. Of the artists named on the title, the painter, Pierre-Paul Sevin, was notable for illustrating the events of the reign of Louis XIV largely employing late Baroque symbolism; the calligrapher, René Michault is considered one of the best pupils of the great calligraphic master Jarré.Plates:[4 recto] TRAIECTUM AD MOSAM EXPUGNATUM (The conquest of Maastricht) / DE NATURA ET FINE ETHICAE. / QUOD ARCEM BATAVICAE POTENTIAE / TRAIECTUM AD MOSAM, / AGGERIBUS, CUNICULIS, ICHIBUS, SUBTERRANEIS / INACCESSAM / PERTINACI TREDECIM DIERUM OBSIDIONE / PERDOMUIT.[4 verso] SEQUANI REGNO ADDITI (Franche-Comté added to the kingdom) / DE ACTIBUS PROPRIIS ETHICAE / QVOD VESONTIONES, DOLAM, GRAEVM & c/ SEQVANOS INTERCEPTOS/ITERVM GALLICI IVRIS FECIT./ VTRAMQVE BVRGVNDIAM/EXTINTIS VETERIBVS ODIIS AETERNOFOEDERE CONNVXIT.[6 recto] CAMERACVM SVBACTVM. (Surrender of Cambrai) / DE ORTU ET INTERITU CORPORIS NATURALIS / QVOD / INIQVO PROPTER HYEMEN COELO AC SOLO / CAMERACVM ADORTVS, / HISPANOS / INDE IN GALLIAM/LONGE AC LATE GRASSANTES / VRBE ATQVE ARCE / EXTERMINAVIT.[6 verso] GANDAVVM OCCVPATVM (The conquest of Gand) / DE MOTU ET LOCO CORPORIS NATURALIS / QVOD/ELVSIS LONGO CIRCVITV HOSTIBVS/ANGLOS / FLANDRIAE LITORIBVS INGRVENTES / INCREDIBILI CELERITATE ANTEVERTIT / CAPVT FLANDRIAE GANDAVVM / IMPROVISIVS OCCVPAVIT.[7 recto] IPRAE CAPTAE. (The conquest of Ypres) / DE QUANTITATE CORPORIS NATURALIS / QVOD IPRAS / FELICI IMPETV CORREPTAS/OBLATA PACE / VICTORIARVM TERMINVM / GALLICI IMPERII LIMITEM / ESSE VOLVIT.[7 verso] DISTVRBATA FOEDERATORVM HOSTIVM SOCIETAS AT FERRO ABRUMPAM (The dissipation of the Triple Alliance) DE MUNDO ET COELO / QVOD / SINGVLARI PRVDENTIA / RECEPTIS IN AMICITIAM BATAVIS, / PERCVLSIS ARMORVM TERRORE / FLANDRIS, AVSTRIACIS, WESPHALIS,DANIS / FATALEM INIMICI FOEDERIS NODVM/VNVS AMPVTAVIT.[8 recto] SVSCEPTA SVECIAE TVTELA (The protection of Sweden) DE ANIMA / QVOD SVECOS / OB CONSTANTEM/IN GALLICA SOCIETATE FIDEM / E GERMANIA PVLSOS / IN INTEGRVM RESTITVIT. / AEMVLOS/IMMATVRE SPOLIIS EXVLTANTES / INTRA LEGITIMOS FINES / REPRESSIT.[8 verso] PAX VBIQVE CONSTITVTA (Louis XIV closes the doors of Janus) DE METAPHYSICA ET EIUS OBJECTO. / QVOD POST CONTINVAM OCTOANNORVM / TERRA MARIQVE FELICITATEM,/CLAVSIS VLTRO BELLI PORTIS / PACEM / VICTORIA COMITE, IVSTITIA PRAESID / ROGANTIBVS DEDIT, /INVITIS IMPOSVIT.. Engraving on paper, trimmed to platemark: total: ca. 368 x 258 mm; damages on the margins, some repaired; a damp stain on the bottom of the 7th sheet; yellowing paper, smudges and some dirt. Online Véronique Meyer's catalogue on the thesis prints dedicated to King Louis XIV: Pour la plus grande gloire du roi: Louis XIV en thèses, 2007.

Keywords: Allegories|Design|Diplomacy|Dissertations|Dutch History|Emblems|France|French|Politics|printing house|Rare|Scandinavia|Sweden|Theology