Low Countries | Le grand théâtre profane du duché de Brabant [bound uniformly with] Le grand théâtre sacré du duché de Brabant, The Hague, 1730, 1734

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£ 2 286
Auction dateClassic
28.11.2023 14:00UTC +01:00
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ID 1076579
Lot 56 | Low Countries | Le grand théâtre profane du duché de Brabant [bound uniformly with] Le grand théâtre sacré du duché de Brabant, The Hague, 1730, 1734
Low Countries

Le grand théâtre profane du duché de Brabant [bound uniformly with] Le grand théâtre sacré du duché de Brabant. The Hague: Chrétien van Lom; Gerard Block, 1730, 1734

First edition in French of the first work; second edition in French of the second work, 2 separately issued but related works in 4 volumes, folio (480 x 292mm.), first work with 4 engraved plates of arms, one plate of coins, and 188 VIEWS AND PLANS on 67 sheets; second work with 2 double-page maps, five engravings in the text, and 271 ENGRAVED PLATES (21 of these portraits, the others views, plans, buildings, altars, and memorials, 74 of the plates double-page) contemporary polished calf gilt, spines gilt in compartments, joints with slight wear

a stately, complete copy of a lavishly illustrated work documenting the impressive secular and ecclesiastical architecture of the Duchy of Brabant.

At the time of printing, Brabant was divided between the Dutch Republic in the north and the Austrian Habsburg Empire in the South; today, all of the territory except the Dutch province of North Brabant is part of Belgium. The “Profane” engravings include plans and panoramic views of cities and towns, while the “Sacré” volumes, first issued in 1729, show not only church and monastic architecture, but details of tombs, memorial plaques, and epitaphs, along with portraits of the bishops of the dioceses of the duchy. The engravings have the crystalline purity of line that set apart the topographical works of Merian a century or so earlier. Many copies of these works were broken up into individual plates, making complete sets of both works in contemporary bindings, as here, especially desirable.
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