Het schilder-boeck waerin voor eerst de leerlustige-jeught den gront der edele vrye schilderkonst in verscheyden deelen wort voor gedragen. Daer na in drij deelen t’leven der vermaerde doorluchtighe schilders des ouden ende nieuwen-tydts. Eyndlyck d’uytlegginghe op den Metamorphoseon Pub. Ovidij Nasonis. Met d’uytbeeldinge der figuren [...] op nieu bygevoecht het leven des autheurs.

4to: [16]-22-[2], [4]-213-[3], [8]-122-[10] ff. (occasional marginal dampstaining, some minor soiling or spotting).

17th-c. gilt mottled calf, double gilt ruled border on covers, richly gilt spine with 5 raised bands and red morocco label, red sp. edges (rubbed). Very good copy.

2nd ed. (1st 1604) of a landmark in art history and theory, written by the "Dutch Vasari", mannerist painter, poet and essayist Karel van Mander (1548-1606). It deals with art theory, gives a commentary on the use of Ovid’s Metamorphoses and presents a large-scale biographical history of Western painting. With verses in memory of Van Mander, by P. Scriverius, Z. Heyns, G.A. Bredero and others. The second work consists of an iconology of the Greek and Roman gods and mythological figures as represented in Ovid’s "Metamorphoses", and of a survey of ancient, esp. Egyptian symbols. Engr. title and full-page author’s portrait by N. Lastman. Woodcut marks on part titles. Printed in 2 col., in Gothic type.
Extra-illustrated copy with 85 engravings: 68 portraits from Hendrick Hondius’ "Pictorum aliquot celebrium praecipue Germaniae Inferioris effigies" (incl. Van Eyck, Van der Weyden, Dürer, Bosch, Holbein, Bruegel, Floris, Vredeman de Vries - Van Mander’s portrait bound at the beginning of his biography at the end of the book); various additional portraits of i.a. Raphael and Savery, by Meyssens, W. Hollar, J. Suyderhoef; a topographical engr. of Heemskerk, and sm. engr. medallion portraits by Hollar of S. Beham and his wife Anna; the engr. title, allegorical front. and Latin poem of Hondius’ series is also bound with. The commentary on Ovid ill. with 7 mythological engr. by J. Matham after H. Goltzius (numbered 1, 2, 6, 3, 5, 4, 7).
Ref. BB IV:46:M-104. - STCN. - Simoni (BL) M-22. - Arntzen & Rainwater H69.