A Paris: De L'Imprimerie Royale., M. DC. LXXIX. [-ca. 1699]
Physical Description
[ii], 14 p., [24] (seven dble.), [12] (at least 9 dble.) pl.; 513 mm.
General Note
The dble. pl. among the first series of 24 are nos. [4-7, 16, 23, 24]. Most of the additional twelve pl. are double.
Contents
[T.p.] - Tableau Du Cabinet Du Roy [signed by Felibien; describing XXIV pl.]; [colophon] - [24 pl. as called for in the text] - [Additional pl.].
Responsibility Note
Each of the 24 plates and the 12 additional plates is signed or captioned with the name of the source-artist and engraver. The engravers were G. Edelinck, Steph. Picart, Aegid. Rousselet, Ant. Masson, Steph. Baudet, G. Chasteau, G. Audran, G. Scotin and 'Edelincks' ('sculpserunt').
The printer is named in the colophon (p. 14): 'Imprimerie Royale, Par Sebastien Mabre-Cramoisy, Directeur'.
References
Royal Institute of British Architects, British Architectural Library ... Early printed books, 1 (1994), no. 517.
Summary Note
This set of prints had first been printed in 1677 under the title 'Les tableaux du Cabinet du Roy, au nombre de XXII., et les statues et bustes antiques des maisons royales, au nombre de XVIII. et leur explication'. For the 1679 edition (the first for sale to the public) the plates of the statues were issued as a separate volume and the twenty-two plates of paintings were joined by a further two. Between 1679 and 1699 a further twelve plates were gradually added, in accordance with the words of the text, 'faire plusieurs parties, & differens volumes, que l'on mettra au jour à mesure qu'on y travaillera', but without any extension of Felibien's descriptive text. In the text-volume with 24 plates the publication-date of 1679 is repeated in the colophon, but three plates carry the earlier dates of 1672 (pl.[2]), 1676 (pl. [3]) and 1677 (pl.[6]). Among the twelve additional plates many carry dates, some later but some earlier than 1679; in the Royal Academy's copy (which has only eleven plates) they are dated as follows: [1] 1679, [2] undated, [3] 1679, [4] 1677, [5] 1676, [6] 1680, [7] 1677, [8] undated, [9] 1682, [10] 1681, [11] 1681.
The twenty-four plates show paintings by Raphael (one pl.), Correge (2 pl.), Titien (2 pl.), Annibal Carrache (2 pl.), Guide (5 pl.), Dominicain (4 pl.), Valentin (4 pl.), Vandeck (one pl.) and Poussin (3 pl.). The additional plates show paintings by Veronese (2 pl.), Raphael (one pl.), Jean Lanfranc (one pl.), Poussin (4 pl.), Valentin (one pl.), Vieux Palme (one pl.), Annib. Carracci (one pl.).
Copy Note
Imperfect; lacks one of the additional twelve plates.
Binding Note
17th-century white vellum, gilt borders and central decoration on upper and lower covers; spine inscribed in ink, 'Cabinet Du Roi'.