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The three architectural treatises by Bosse in their 1688 issues, considered as a unit and often described as a single book
BOSSE, Abraham.Traité des manieres de dessiner les o'rdres de l'architecture antique en toutes leurs parties.      Paris, Pierre Aubouin, Pierre Emery & Charles Clousier, (ca. 1688). 3 works in one. Folio. Contemporary full calf, spine gilt in compartments with title lettered in gold on red morocco label, gilt and decorated binding edges, red speckled edges. Full-page engraved title-page in elongated octagonal tablet with olive wrath moulding, imprint in rectangular block below, full-page engraved frontispiece showing female statues of 'Le Solide' & 'La Agréable' in wall-niches, with free-standing statues of 'La Théorie' and 'La Pratique' flanking a flight of steps inscribed 'Le Commode' leading to a monumental figure representing 'La Raison sur tout' set under a projecting Ionic portico, the attic and frieze of which is inscribed 'Traité sur la pratique des ordres de colomnes de l architecture nommée antique (and in the soffit space) par A. Bosse, 44 full-page engraved plates (ca. 31 x 20 cm) numbered I-XLIV top right with demonstrations on how to draw, proportion, applying the orders and their members, plans and elevations of staircases and banisters and demonstrations of the shading of solid geometrical bodies, moulding etc., one unnumbered double-page engraved plate of the Corinthian order. Engraved throughout, including the texts. With: (2) IDEM. Des ordres de colonnes en l'architecture, et plusieurs autres dependances dicelle. (No place, publisher, nor date (ca. 1688). Full-page engraved title-page with the title engraved in the pediment of a Doric pavillion, 'par A. Bosse' inscribed in roof opening, and 'La Reyne des Arts' on pedestal of female statue of Architecture (imprint erased at foot), 20 full-page engraved plates marked A-V top right with a.o. demonstrations of details and proportions of various orders. Engraved throughout, including the texts. (3) IDEM. Représentations géométrales de plusieurs parties de bastiments faites par les reigles de l'architecture antique et de qui les mesures sont reduittes en piedz poulces & lignes, afin de saccommoder a la maniere de mesurer la plus en uzage parmy le commun des ouvriers. Paris, (imprint erased, traces of erased imprint visible above date), 1688. Full-page engraved title-page in richly moulded border frame, 22 full-page engraved plates numbered I-II (engraved text) and 1-20 top right, showing a.o. measured designs for classical doorways and portes-cochères, a perspective of a doorway framing enfilade view from the inner court, perspectives views of a vestibule or loggia with a fountain at one end and one leading to a balcony and unmeasured designs for chimney-pieces, showing elevations and profiles. Engraved throughout. Three rare and important treatises on architecture, all three re-edited in ca. 1688 and meant to be bound together, conceived and engraved by Abraham Bosse (1602-1676), a famous French draughtsman and engraver. Although clearly available independently, the Traité des manières, the Des ordres de colones, and the Représentations géométrales are almost invariably found in association with one another, and indeed are considered as a unit and described as a single book by some authorities. This is especially true of the copies belonging to the present 1688 issues. The fact that all three present issues share the same paper and watermark strengthens the likelihood of simultaneous issue and their appearance in 1688 with the same publishers. Bosse much worked as book illustrator, engraving numerous frontispieces, vignettes, coats of arms, ornaments, etc., including a beautiful alphabet for book publishers. The famous frontispiece for Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes (1651), for example, was created by him. Bosse also taught at the Académie de Peinture founded at Paris in 1648. In 1661, Bosse was finally ousted from his teaching post at the Academie by the longstanding cabal organised against him by Jacques Le Bicheur, whose Traité de perspective (1657), Bosse criticized for its serious errors. Ad 1: This issue certainly dates from after 1684, but is earlier than that published by J. Jombert, probably between 1697 and ca. 1700, in which Bosse's engraved dedication to Colbert (with privilege, dated 1665) was reinstated, though with the privilege line erased, leaving only the date. The title-page, which shows the erasure of the previous imprint is present in the same state in this issue as in Jombert's (see Fowler 59). It is worth noting that the 1684 issue seems to have been published just before the original copyright privilege for the first edition on 1664 was due to expire: the fact that this privilege was now shared by three booksellers suggests that the plates it protected were considered a valuable commercial asset, and it is not unlikely that their new, re-dated issue was intended to discourage anyone thinking of producing a rival edition. The alteration of the imprint for the present issue, however, was probably no more than an updating. Neither of these issues included the Colbert dedication, presumably because of the recentness of his death (1683) and a wish not to offend his successor Louvain. Apart from this omission; the re-wording of the title imprint (originally this read 'Chez l'auteur, en Lisle du Palais ... 1664'. With privilege, see Fowler 57); and the trimming off of Bosse's imprint from the foot of the frontispiece plate. The present plates are unaltered from the original 1664 edition. It is not clear when the double-page unnumbered plate of the Corinthian order, in which Bosse presents his improvements upon Palladio's and Vignola's versions, first broke its original mooring in the Répresentations géométrales series (see 3). It subsequently migrated to either the Traité des manières de dessiner les ordres (as in our copy) or to Des ordres de colonnes, its variable position being due to its lack of numbering or reference letter. Ad 2: Comprising plates first published in Paris in 1664-71, issued probably simultaneously with the 1688 edition of the Répresentations géometrales (see 3). Plates L-Q of this series, describing Bosse's ways for three particularly difficult problems in architectural draughtmanship, seem to have been intended originally to stand on their own (plate O is dated January 1661 and plate M December 1662), though there is no evidence that they were in fact published before their incorporation here as part of an attempt to provide systematic instructions for drawing the orders and their members. The first issue of the work consisted of the title-page with the imprint 'A Paris, chez l edit Bosse, en L isle du Palais ....1664' and 17 plates lettered A-R (see Berlin Kat. 2379), in which plate A and L were dated July and January 1663 respectively and plate M and O as noted above. In 1671 three plates lettered S-V were added, plates S being dated 1671. Presumably simultaneously with the re-issue of the Traité des manières and Représentations géométrales by a group of six Paris booksellers in 1684, the title-page date '1664' of this work was altered to read '1684', and Bosse's imprint erased. The present issue, which is probably contemporaneous with the 1668 issue of Représentations géométrales (see 3), has this '1684' likewise removed, together with the dates on plates A, L. and S. Ad 3: Comprising plates previously published in 1659 and 1684, together with six new plates, this edition probably was intended to form a unit with 1 and 2. The work was first issued in 1659-60 as a suite of 11 plates devoted to classical doorways, plus the title-page and two plates of engraved text. The latter are a.o. concerned with an explanation of how to convert the module into feet and inches and an advice to the reader. It was Bosse's intention to expand the work, but that does not seem to have been achieved during his lifetime. The only plate definitely added before the 1684 issue was the unnumbered double plate of the Corintian order (see 1). Instead it was left to the publishers of the 1684 issue to add a small element of diversity by including three more unnumbered plates (plates [12-14]) of perspective views through vestibule entrances. These have no captions and were probably intended to illustrate the practice of perspective rather than the designs of doorways. In the present issue, the six plates of chimney-pieces are added (plates 15-20). Where these came from is not clear - they may not in fact be by Bosse - though it is possible that they represent unpublished plates from Bosse's stock which for some reason he decided to withhold (the lack of measurements and lettering suggest that they were never finished). Very good copies- (Spine sl. damaged, hinges weak, with some rest. on sides; last work with some age-browning).
BAL 341 (1), 337 (2), 340 (3); Berlin Kat 2378 (1), 2379 (2; first ed., first issue ), 3858 (3; 1659 issue); Fowler 59 (1), 62 (2; later issue), 65 (3; later issue); Cicognara 444 (1), 445 (2), 446 (3); Blum, L'oevre gravé d'Abraham Bosse, 707-87 (1st. ed., 2nd issue of 1, incl. 2 & 3 without title?); Guilmard p. 47 (3); S. Join-Lambert & M. Préaud (eds.), Abraham Bosse, savant graveur (2004).
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All items are offered subject to prior sale. Prices are nett and in (€) EURO. VAT/BTW, postage, and insurance are not included.
Free shipping for orders over € 2,500. EU customers: if applicable, please quote your VAT number when placing orders.
Preferred mode of payment: by credit card through our secure online payment service, which is facilitated by Ogone. If you wish to make other arrangements, please contact us. Terms of sale
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