SADELER Aegidius II: The Twelve months - ca. 1607

SOLD
sadeler-februarius
sadeler-martius
sadeler-aprilis
sadeler-maius
sadeler-iunius
sadeler-iulius
sadeler-augustus
sadeler-september
sadeler-october
sadeler-november
sadeler_december

SOLD

[The Twelve months]

Series of 12 plates (etching with burin), 210 to 223 x 277 to 293 mm, after Peeter II STEVENS (1567-1624). Hollstein 130-141 ; 1/2 ; Illustrated Bartsch, t. 72 part 1, pp. 210-228, no. 133-144, first state (of 3) (February: second state (of 4)) before Marco Sadeler's address. Title-plate lacking [Hollstein 129].

All the plates are printed on laid paper with watermarks (city gate with portcullis; eagle with two heads).

Rare set of the twelve plates; good impressions of the rare state before Marco Sadeler's address. Ten of the twelve plates are trimmed on or outside the platemark; two are trimmed outside, on or just into the platemark. The borderline is always visible. A missing shred of paper in the letter of December (Ab [s]ummum et Sed [principum] labes), repaired; a 4 cm tear, repaired, on May; some other plates show a few minimal defects. Otherwise in good condition.

The set Menses XII anni solaris is dated 1607 and dedicated to D. Ferdinando Hoffman by the engraver Egidius Sadeler. Each of the twelve plates illustrates one month, depicting the occupations for this month and showing the corresponding sign of the Zodiac in the sky. The name of the month is inscribed bottom center in a text box. Six lines of verse in Latin in the lower margin give a comment on each plate.