Album with Gerard de Jode's "Thesaurus" of the Old and New Testament.

269 engravings, various dimensions, laid paper, various signatures, most with address of Gerard de Jode, few with address of widow of Gerard de Jode or address of Johannes Baptista Vrints (trimmed on or outside platemark, some light stains, few sm. tears, few holes, few ms. notes).

Very good, early impressions. Laid down on laid paper (sheets ca. 35,7 x 52,2 cm) with hand-painted red frames, bound in 19th-c. half leather spine, blind-ruled and with 4 raised bands, with marbled paper covers, red edges, wove paper endpapers (sl. used, sm. defect at head and tail).

Extraordinary copy of the "Theasaurus", the highly influential picture Bible and magnum opus of the Antwerp print publisher Gerard de Jode (ca. 1516-1591). Probably an album compiled earlier and rebound in the 19th c. Originally published by Gerard de Jode in 1579 (Old Testament only), 1585 (New Testament added) and 1585-1591 (later versions), the "Thesaurus" was subsequently printed by his widow and heirs in 1592-1600 with some plates added (4th ed.). Our copy also contains a few prints with the address of Johannes Baptista Vrints, suggesting this might be a copy sold by Vrints's widow (5th ed.). She probably added a few prints of her own stock to replace lost or damaged plates. It is unclear from the passage in the foreword of Crispijn de Passe's (1564-1637) "Liber Genesis" from 1612 if the widow of Vrints only sold copies of the "Thesaurus" or also printed them. It is remarkable that this edition still includes very nice dark impressions of most plates. All engravings are states before the address of Claes Jansz. Visscher (ca. 1586-1652), who published the 1st Amsterdam ed. in 1639 (11 ed. known in total).
The ensemble provides a large overview of the Dutch and Flemish artists working in printmaking in the late 16th c. The following designers and engravers are included: Hans Bol, Peeter van der Borcht, Crispijn van den Broeck, Maarten van Cleve, Gillis Coignet, Adriaen Collaert, Hans Collaert I, Michiel Coxie, Joannes and Lucas van Doetecum, Ambrosius Francken, Petrus Jalhea Furnius, Julius Goltzius, Gerard van Groeningen, Maarten van Heemskerck, Pieter de Jode I, Frans Menton, Harmen Jansz. Muller, Adam van Noort, Johannes Sadeler I, Jan Snellinck, Maarten de Vos, Hans Vredeman de Vries, Antonius Wierix II, Hieronymus Wierix, Johannes Wierix.
Our copy includes the following series from the Old Testament: Title plate (NHD 1), The creation of the world and fall of man (NHD 4-6), Noah and the flood (NHD 15-17, complete), The tower of Babel (NHD 18-20, complete), Abraham (NHD 26-31, complete), Lot (NHD 32-35, complete), Jacob and Esau (NHD 36-39, complete), Dinah and Shechem (NHD 40), The twelve patriarchs (NHD 44-49, complete, cut per patriarch), Joseph (NHD 50-54), Moses and the pharaoh (NHD 57-64, complete), Moses in the desert (NHD 65-70, complete), Balaam (NHD 71-74, complete), Joshua (NHD 75-76, 83-84), The twelve judges of Israel (NHD 85-90, complete), Gideon (NHD 91-94, complete), Samson (NHD 99-101, complete), Samson (NHD 102-104), David and Saul (NHD 111-113), David and Abigail (NHD 114-116), David and Bathsheba (NHD 120-122), David and Absalom (NHD 123-126, complete), Solomon (NHD 127, 129), Jeroboam (NHD 131, 135-136), Elijah and the prophets of Baal (NHD 137-138), Elijah and Elisha (NHD 141-144, complete, frames cut), Joash and Queen Athaliah (NHD 145-146, 148), Hezakiah and Sennacherib (NHD 149-152, complete), Esther and Ahasuerus (NHD 165-168, complete), Esdras (NHD 173-176, complete), Tobias (NHD 183-188, complete), Judith and Holofernes (NHD 190-193, complete), Jeremiah (NHD 194, 196), Susanna (NHD 198, 200), Daniel (NHD 205-206), The kings of Judah (NHD 208-213, 215), The Maccabees (NHD 217-224, complete), Jonah (NHD 225-228, complete), Prophets of the Old Testament (NHD 229-232, complete).
It also includes the following series from the New Testament: Title plate (NHD 234), The four Evangelists (NHD 236-239, complete) printed with the occasionally used independent borders (NHD 724-727, complete), The youth of Christ (NHD 240, 242-249, complete), Events in and around the temple (NHD 250-251), Scenes from the life of St John the Baptist and Christ (NHD 255-256, 258-259, complete), The parable of the sower and the seed (NHD 260-263, complete), The twelve miracles of Christ (NHD 264-275, complete), The parable of the talents (NHD 276-278), Twelve parables from the New Testament (NHD 282-293, complete), The parable of the unmerciful servant (NHD 294-297), The parable of the prodigal son (NHD 298-301, complete), The works of Christ (NHD 303) with Christ in the house of Nicodemus (published by the widow of Gerard de Jode, New Hollstein (Pieter de Jode I) 4) and The good shepherd (published by Johannes Baptista Vrints, Hollstein XLIV.135.609) added, Conversions of sinners (NHD 310-315, complete), Events in and around the temple (NHD 316, 324), The seven acts of mercy (NHD 325-326, 328, 330-332), Appearances of the resurrected Christ (NHD 349, 351, 353) with Christ and his disciples on the way to Emmaus (published by Johannes Baptista Vrints, Hollstein XLIV.115.505) added, Acts of the Apostles (published by the widow of Gerard de Jode, NHD 496-507, complete), The revelation of St John (NHD 360-380).
Ref. New Hollstein (Gerard de Jode) 1-392.