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Vivae omnium fere imperatorum imagines
Author: Hubert Goltzius (Netherlandish, 1526–1583)
Illustrated by: Hubert Goltzius (Netherlandish, 1526–1583)
Cut by: Joos Gietleughen (Netherlandish, 16th century)
Printer: Gillis van Diest (Netherlandish, 16th century)
Illustrated by: Hubert Goltzius (Netherlandish, 1526–1583)
Cut by: Joos Gietleughen (Netherlandish, 16th century)
Printer: Gillis van Diest (Netherlandish, 16th century)
1557
Place of Publication: Antwerp, Belgium
Medium/Technique
Illustrated book with chiaroscuro etched and woodcut title page, 132 chiaroscuro etchings with woodcut, 16 blank etchings
Dimensions
Overall: 34.7 x 25.7 x 5.5 cm (13 11/16 x 10 1/8 x 2 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of the children of Dr. James B. Ayer
Accession Number22.1065
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope, Prints and Drawings
ClassificationsIllustrated books
Antwerp: Gillis van Diest, 1557
Catalogue Raisonné
Brunet II, 1653-54; Hollstein, Dutch and Flemish, VII, p. 201, nos. 1-134; VIII, p. 139, no. 1; Bialler, Chiaroscuro, 2
Description(Antwerp: Gillis van Diest, 1557) Folio; 171 leaves; contemporary blind-stamped and rolled white pigskin binding (damaged).
Ornamental title border with author portrait; three-color illustrations of antique medallion portraits of emperors. First edition, in Latin; there were two more editions in German and Italian issued the same year (MFA owns copy of German ed.: KBR316). Originally supposed to contain 148 medallion portraits of 155 emperors and empresses, but only 131 completed by this time. The illustrations were based on antique and modern portrait medals. It is thought that Goltzius etched the outline plates (printed in black) himself, while van Mander attributes the cutting of the blocks to Joos Gietleughen. The "two-tone" woodblocks were printed in ochre and brown and olive and green, varying through the edition. See Bialler for more information.
This copy has a plate with double "Concordia" portrait of Philip and Maximilian on fol. D [sic, for Dd]2--misbound as last printed leaf; this plate is lacking in the Allen copy (64.395).
The MFA owns another copy of this edition (64.395), one of the 1557 German ed. (KBR316), and three copies of the 1645 ed.
Ornamental title border with author portrait; three-color illustrations of antique medallion portraits of emperors. First edition, in Latin; there were two more editions in German and Italian issued the same year (MFA owns copy of German ed.: KBR316). Originally supposed to contain 148 medallion portraits of 155 emperors and empresses, but only 131 completed by this time. The illustrations were based on antique and modern portrait medals. It is thought that Goltzius etched the outline plates (printed in black) himself, while van Mander attributes the cutting of the blocks to Joos Gietleughen. The "two-tone" woodblocks were printed in ochre and brown and olive and green, varying through the edition. See Bialler for more information.
This copy has a plate with double "Concordia" portrait of Philip and Maximilian on fol. D [sic, for Dd]2--misbound as last printed leaf; this plate is lacking in the Allen copy (64.395).
The MFA owns another copy of this edition (64.395), one of the 1557 German ed. (KBR316), and three copies of the 1645 ed.
ProvenanceThe children of Dr. James B. Ayer, by whom given to the MFA, 1922.