Lot 04

Anthonis van Dyck (1599 - 1641) Le Cabinet des plus beaux Portraits De plusieurs Princes et Princesses, Hommes Illustres, Fameux Peintres et autres.

Anthonis, i.e., Anthony van Dyck (1599 Antwerp – 1641 London), the greatest portrait artist of all time, Rubens’ student and painter to King Charles I of England, also created graphic art in addition to paintings. The extensive copy here focuses on separate plates with 170 portrait etchings; the frontispiece features the engraved allegoric title of the former Antwerp publication using van Dyck’s own portrait. The volume brings together almost the entire oeuvre of the artist’s portrait prints, and is perhaps the most extensive collection of this type to have been offered on the international art auction market in the past decades. The unquestionable artistic and historical value, the integrity of the content and form, the full, deep and high-contrast imprints on strong paper with wide page margins, the quality of the paper, decorative trim and minimal oxidation, the exact bookbinding work, lack of interventions by previous owners or conservators – all this pieces together a full picture of the volume presented here.

We can confidently and justifiably designate this book as a collection piece. Title page, 1 leaf not numbered, 4 pages not numbered with text initial and copperplate engraving, 170 plates with portrait etchings. Period full leather binding with six raised bands, gilt embossed ornamental decoration on the spine, burgundy spine label with title.