WEYERMAN, Jacob Campo.
De levens-beschryvingen der Nederlandsche konst-schilders en konst-schilderessen, met een uytbreyding over de schilder-konst der ouden.
The Hague, widow of E. Boucquet, H. Scheurleer, F. Boucquet, J. de Jongh, 1729 (vols. 1-3); Dordrecht, Ab Blussé & son, 1769 (vol. 4). 4 volumes. 4to. With an engraved frontispiece, title-pages in red and black and with engraved vignettes, a folding portrait of Willem Karel Hendrik Friso (1711-1751), Prince of Orange and from 1747 hereditary Stadtholder Willem IV, a portrait of the author, 40 engraved plates by Houbraken with multiple portraits of artists on each plate, 1 plate with a night scene, 1 mezzotint and 118 engraved vignettes. Contemporary blind-tooled vellum with manuscript titles on spines. Sprinkled edges. [16], 412, [6]; [4], 412, [6], [4], 446, [4].
€ 4,000
First edition of richly illustrated biographies of more than 100 Dutch painters, male and female, still of interest for the history of Dutch art. The author, Jacob Campo Weyerman (1677-1747), was one of the foremost Dutch authors of the Enlightenment and was known for his merry style. For this history of Dutch art, he leans on Houbraken's De groote schouburgh der Neder-lantsche konstschilders en schilderessen (1718-1721).
The first three parts were all published in 1729; the fourth - 40 years later - is mainly devoted to the painters from the Art Academy at The Hague. All 40 plates with artists' portraits, the frontispiece, 2 other portraits and the night scene are in the first 3 volumes (the later volume 4 has no plates). The lavish vignettes throughout the volumes are worth mentioning as well, mostly executed by Picart and apparently made for the present publication.
The plates seem to be from a rare early state avant la lettre: all other copies we have seen have lettering on the plates, but the present copy has the information written on the plates in ink. The title-page lettering seems to be very slightly moved compared to other copies, but positions of the quire signatures all match. Perhaps this was a first impression or proof.
From the library of Belgian artist/curator Philippe Jacques van Brée (1786-1871), with his owner's inscription on the front paste-down of each volume: "P.J. van Bréé". He was curator of the Royal Museum of Fine Art in Brussels from 1831-1861.
With a few neat annotations in pencil in the margins of the plates and a small tear in the foot margin of a text page. Vellum slightly thumbed. Otherwise in very good condition. Kunst op schrift 243-245; Arntzen/ Rainwater H129.
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